AV/IT TEAM: Tanner Upthegrove, immersive audio specialist; David Franusich, multimedia designer
GOALS: The iconic “Cube” at Virginia Tech’s Institute for Creativity, Arts, and Technology was designed as an adaptable performance center and multidisciplinary educational facility for research and experimentation of big data, immersive environments, interactive AV, and experiential investigation. The AV/IT team needed to ensure that the systems driving the Cube kept the learning experience fresh and relevant—seamlessly transitioning from a canvas where art students can explore new digital mediums, to a venue where scientific studies can incorporate virtual reality.
CHALLENGES: On the cutting-edge of educational pursuits, the Cube needed to easily accommodate the vast array of state-of-the-art technologies required for an ever-evolving and progressive curriculum. Teaching methods and technologies that are on-trend one day are passé the next. What resonates with staff and students now is all but a dying trend later.
FINAL INSTALL/USER BENEFITS: One technological facet that’s helping the Cube push the boundaries of traditional classroom instruction—and providing the wider community with a unique performance venue—is a suite of modularly designed video projectors from Digital Projection International (DPI).
Digital Projection Titan S-MLS projector, Digital Projection HIGHlite S-MLS projectors
“We chose DP’s new Satellite MLS projectors specifically for their modular form factor,” said Tanner Upthegrove, Immersive Audio specialist at the Cube. “Because the light engine and the projector head are two separate parts, we were able to get really creative with our visual presentations, reconfiguring and orienting the projector head in different ways or squeezing it into areas that would be impossible for a traditional self-contained projector to fit.” This flexibility afforded Upthegrove and his fellow immersive specialists to cast moving and immersive imagery on the floor of the Cube for a special engagement, then quickly switch the presentation onto the walls. “The MLS system also gives us the freedom to experiment with different designs—to try out new approaches and to always deliver the types of experiences our faculty needs to keep their curriculum engaging and relevant,” Upthegrove continued.
In addition to accommodating highly varied instruction and programs, the one Titan S-MLS and three HIGHlite S-MLS DP projectors specified for the Cube’s recent AV update streamline installation dramatically for the facility’s small AV team. “What used to require a team of four to mount a heavy, big projector can now be accomplished by a single person,” said Cube Multimedia designer David Franusich.
Another perk: By combining multiple MLS light engines, the Titan projector head can output a remarkable 30,000 lumens, which is enough to fill an entire 32-by-40-foot wall at the Cube. All this without a speck of noise from the MLS light engines to distract students, staff, and visitors from the presentation. Upthegrove and Franusich took advantage of the unique two-piece design of the DP MLS system to place the noisy light engines away from the action.
The integration of DP’s Titan and HIGHlite MLS projectors represents the ongoing evolution of projection technologies at the Cube. Prior to their installation, DP’s original HIGHlite projectors were utilized. “They still performed great, but as an educational facility that’s rooted in technology, the Cube needs to be as current as possible, and that meant moving into 4K,” said Franusich. The revolutionary design of the new MLS line let the Cube AV specialists push the capabilities of digital imagery even further.
