SNA Displays’ LED video technology was deployed to create an immersive art installation celebrating the 150th anniversary of Purdue University College of Engineering, in West Lafayette, Indiana. The exhibition, which concludes in September, focuses on the lives of some of the college’s most famous students, including astronaut Neil Armstrong, aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart, and Lillian Gilbreth, known as the “first lady of engineering”.
Media design studio Exhibitry created the digital experience, which is located in the Herman & Heddy Kurz Atrium at Armstrong Hall, to represent the college’s core virtues of “innovation, ingenuity, and vibrancy”.
Mounted flush within the brick wall above a doorway, the 1.8mm BRILLIANT Interior LED displays measures 7ft 9in high x 13ft 9in wide (1,260 x 2,240 pixels) and processes more than 2.8m pixels. The content management system was designed to receive live input for presentations during events, and it integrates audio outputs for event speakers and Exhibtry’s content.
The SNA Displays’ video wall deploys anamorphic content – which uses distorted imagery that appears normal when viewed from a particular point, or with a suitable mirror or lens – to tell the story of the legendary students.
From a certain perspective in the hall’s atrium, indicated by a sticker on the floor, viewers can relive Armstrong’s “small step” on the moon, watch Earhart depart a hangar in her Lockheed 10-E Electra, or immerse themselves in Gilbreth’s groundbreaking motion-tracking studies.
Another featured engineer is John M. Atalla whose many inventions included the metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET), one of the most frequently manufactured devices in history. Peppered between these animations are content pieces unique to the school’s College of Engineering, such as Purdue AI Racing’s autonomous race car and Purdue Space Program’s rocket launch.
Tracy Evans, president of Exhibitry, said: “We designed the content to play with your sense of perspective, so from a particular viewing angle, you see depth and shadow and highlights that bring objects off the screen. It’s an engineered approach to animation that uses digital magic tricks to affect visual perception and bring dimensionality to what is actually 2D content.
“It’s a celebration of Purdue’s commitment to innovation, discovery, and storytelling. For students and faculty, especially those in engineering, it’s a real-world example of how disciplines intersect, where the visual arts, computer science, and structural engineering meet. The content of the wall honours Purdue’s legacy while highlighting the latest advances and how the university is shaping the future. If you’re part of the Purdue community, this wall is something you won’t want to miss.”
William Kelly, senior project manager at SNA Displays, added: “While designed primarily to play pre-scheduled content, the CMS design and inclusion of live input panels allows for a wide range of experiences, including live events. It’s an excellent example of the versatility of LED display technology when paired with the right backend system and software. You can adapt it to just about any situation, giving the end user options they may not have even thought of at first.”
