The visitor centre was the UK’s first Millennium commission funded project to open to the public and features a variety of interactive displays which showcase the lifetime of the planet.
Casio’s UST projectors are used to display rear projection video content in a gallery shaped like a yellow submarine, where each porthole shows five different types of sea environment including: Tropical Open Ocean, Polar Seas, Coastal Waters and Ocean Depths.
The 3,100 ANSI lumen projectors are ideal for this kind of installation, as they can be positioned close to displays without any on screen shadowing.
Having purchased lamp-based projectors in the past and been disappointed with their poor performance as well as accrued annual costs of close to £2,000 when it came to replacement bulbs, Casio was a natural selection for technical manager Mark Wall, due to its alternative and sustainable LED and laser hybrid light source: “Casio seem to be the only company providing laser & LED hybrid projection, which not only produces consistently vibrant colours over its 20,000 hour lifetime, but also provides users with virtually no maintenance due to its lamp-free technology. The five-year warranty also really appealed, as it gives us total peace of mind if anything were to go wrong – so far so good!”
After discussions with AVMI on which reasonably priced, reliable, lamp-free projectors were available, they recommended Casio, for its strong optics; low total cost of ownership; zero maintenance and warranty offering. All of these were key factors for Dynamic Earth, especially the reliability issue considering the thousands of visitors they receive on an annual basis.
“The installation process was also simple as we could position the projectors as close to the screen as we wanted”
“Previously, with our lamp-based projectors, we were spending £300 every time we had to change a lamp,” explained Wall. “If you’re doing that a few times a year for several projectors, that’s a few thousand pounds easily spent. Casio provides a much more economical and environmentally sound solution. The fact that there are no hidden costs or replacement bulbs to consider was also a huge bonus for us, as was the reliability and outstanding performance of the technology in terms of brightness and ease of operation. The installation process was also simple as we could position the projectors as close to the screen as we wanted.”
Visitors can experience the wonder of the aquatic world by become totally immersed in the story of the oceans. Thanks to Casio’s instant on/off function, there’s also no waiting time so projectors can display content immediately, unlike traditional lamp based models, which often involve lengthy start up times due to heating up processes of the bulbs.
“After initial discussions with Mark, it was clear that Casio was the perfect fit, as environmentally friendly technology was of the utmost importance to Dynamic Earth,” explained Nic Clark, account manager at AVMI. “They’re proud holders of a Gold Award from the Green Tourism Business Scheme so remaining true to their green credentials was important for them. Casio’s lamp-free technology also ensures energy consumption is cut by up to 40% and there’s no mercury, so users don’t have to worry about a harmful substance entering the environment.”
