New audiovisual technology drives innovation in education and entertainment

The growing desire to live experiences and the latest generation of audiovisual technology open up a new world of immersive experiences for the education and entertainment environment.

The tendency of people to value experiences over material things was first identified as a trait at the turn of the millennium.. The desire to spend money on new travel or experiences was greater than to buy and own homes., cars or fashion items. The expression “You only live once”, abbreviated as Yolo, was the motto of this generation, since it got rid of the bonds of the conventional.

With the passage of time, it has become clear that the desire to enjoy, learning and being entertained with experiences is universal. It can be seen more clearly in young people, but there are definite signs that interest is intergenerational.

In addition to access to travel, marked by the economic factor, the development of technology and its ability to create increasingly immersive experiences is a fundamental factor to enjoy new experiences.

Advances in audiovisual technology are helping to bring history to life in museums. It allows people to share and experience the world's great works of art in ways never seen before and introduces new forms of entertainment that were never considered possible..

This form of innovation could be the spark that opens the story, arts and culture to an even wider audience, as the interactive nature of the exhibits dispels myths about their boring or elitist nature. Some have even called this approach Edu-tainment, Info-tainment or Art-tainment. I'm not sure these terms are often used, but there is no doubt that there are new and fascinating opportunities in all these areas..

Panasonic has pioneered the creation of these immersive experiences. Already in 2017, we support the staging of the "Giudizio Universale" (Final Judgment)" de Balich, an incredible immersive theatrical experience that explains the life and art of Michel Angelo. Today that innovation continues. He has recently been named official technology partner of Illuminarium Experiences. It's a collaboration that aims to reimagine immersive entertainment with cutting-edge technology to bring experiences to life..

The first experience of Illuminarium will be WILD: The World's First Virtual Safari. Opened in Atlanta in mid-Atlanta 2021, this interactive show will showcase the beauty and splendor of the world's most exotic animals in their natural habitats. Using the power of Panasonic's advanced native 4K laser projection technology, visitors will be transported to Africa.

Illuminarium Experiences will open its first three locations in the United States, and others will open in large cities and tourist destinations around the world. The main spaces will house 46 4K laser projectors, with mapping projections of more than three billion pixels. When exhibited in sites of more than 2.300 square meters and ceilings of more than 7,5 meters high, Illuminariums, as adaptable immersive theatres, surround visitors in a sensory space with views, sounds and dimensions like no other.

Similar transformations are also taking place in the art world.. Van Gogh's work was used as the basis for a creative and immersive exhibition in a disused newspaper printing building in Toronto., Canada. The exhibit was built specifically for the space.

Panasonic's technology was used to project giant map images onto soils, pillars and walls of the industrial enclave accompanied by music. Visitors were able to experience the artist's work in a totally innovative way while driving their car or walking around the venue..

As we emerge from the current pandemic, social changes can make these types of immersive experiences even more popular. For some time, people will no doubt continue to hesitate to travel long distances, and the possibility of converting disused spaces, as industrial warehouses, in local entertainment or itinerant cultural places can be attractive.

To some extent, we've already seen this approach taken by many of the new escape room sites that were popular before the pandemic.. In addition, retail hubs seem to be transforming, with fewer physical stores and more online sales. It is possible that empty buildings in the center of cities will become and be used as permanent places for this type of use of immersive experiences..

The opportunity to get involved, educating and entertaining the next generations with this technology is a concept that excites me and drives our team to continue developing the audiovisual capabilities behind these new immersive experiences.. For me, personally, the opportunities offered by this technology to attract and interest a younger and wider audience in culture, such as the arts and theatre, it's something I find incredibly motivating.

As we move forward, technology will continue to develop. Higher brightness and higher resolution projection will be required, as people will get closer and closer to visual displays. There will also be an increasing need to project smoothly from floor to ceiling and on backgrounds of increasingly curved and unusual shapes..

All this added to the need to be able to easily transport and configure the equipment, as well as the growing desire for sustainable technologies and solutions. At Panasonic, the benefits of immersive experiences we're starting to see is what drives us.. We strive to use all our experience and design engineering capabilities to deliver these state-of-the-art audiovisual possibilities.

David Sempere

Head of Visual Solutions Panasonic Business

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