SITUATION

Seeking to reach younger generations of students and inspire them to explore science and engineering fields, Australia’s Queensland University of Technology (QUT) created the world’s largest interactive multi-touch display. Called the Cube, this attraction allows visitors to engage directly with enormous, responsive exhibits, including a physics playroom, an energy-efficient driving simulator, and a virtual reef. The Cube combines projected edge-blending images, dozens of interactive monitors, and an ambient audio system. Panels sense both the physical presence of participants as well as the movements of their hands – allowing integrator ProAV Solutions to align the screens sequentially for a truly interactive experience..

SOLUTION

With the interactive displays in place, Project designers realized that they needed a robust audio solution that would keep pace with the stunning visual technologies and complete the interactive experience for Cube visitors. Working within a structure made of stone and concrete where walls of different shapes could impact the sonic integrity of the installation, ProAV required an audio solution that could engage participants while circumventing the acoustic limitations of the area to create a seamless-sounding exhibit. Biamp Systems’ Tesira® digital audio processor allowed them to create a unique content-driven audio experience for every user, regardless of what was happening in another area of the screen. Integrated with more than 25 hidden element dipole speakers, the audio system provided networked digital signal processing customizable configurations, and the raw processing power needed to transport audio via approximately 96 inputs and 80 outputs.

CONCLUSIONS

A steady stream of teachers are now using the installation to carry out their lesson plans directly on the facility’s walls – giving them access to photo-realistic moving images, crisp ambient audio, and response-based interaction that provides tomorrow’s generation of academics with a unique sensory experience that opens the scientific imagination.