Planar allows to analyze the large amounts of data that are handled in the UNM

In the Visualization Lab of the University of New Mexico has installed a videowall planar Clarity Matrix G3 (MX65U), in a configuration of 6×3. In addition, the solution includes an AV backbone Crestron NVX DM for video transport.

the University of New Mexico (UNM) has completed the construction of its new Physics building, Astronomy and Interdisciplinary Sciences (COUNTRY), a project of 67 million dollars that will change the way research is conducted on campus. To this is added the new Cooperative of Interdisciplinary Sciences (IS Co-op). Planar Clarity Matrix G3 has been the technological response for this new building.

Every detail of these facilities of 12.727 square meters, from collaborative meeting spaces to labs with open floor plans, is dedicated to fostering education and interdisciplinary research.

PAÍS facilities merge a wide range of academic disciplines with the aim of inspiring and expanding new and existing collaborative partnerships.

“The common thread among IS Co-op labs is that they produce or analyze very large amounts of data.”, Says Christopher Lippitt, IS Co-op faculty coordinator, Director of Aspire and Associate President and Graduate Program, director of the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. “Big data analysis or data-to-knowledge was actually the organizational concept behind the IS Co-op”.

To analyze big data, Lippitt explains that one of the few universal methods is visualization. “It is a technique that gives us a starting point to understand the patterns in the data.. We can use visualization to triangulate how we develop algorithmic approaches to interpreting data.. And it's also a way, both physically and intellectually, of uniting many people around a common set of resources and capabilities”.

Visualization Lab

To respond to all these needs, the Visualization Laboratory was built in the PAÍS building as a new state-of-the-art resource to display large-scale images.. The underlying goal was to allow researchers to achieve levels of detail corresponding to the increasing amount of data they work with..

To achieve the level of visual detail the researchers imagined, a solution was required that would allow them to display an incredible number of pixels simultaneously.

UNM's search focused on the ability to generate extremely large and complex datasets to be visible to the human eye..

The limiting factor they faced was pixel density.. “Until very recently, video views were restricted to 1080p per screen”, Says Tim Johnson, Associate Director of Learning Environments.

With that resolution, visually representing what the researchers had in mind would require a large-format video wall, something that was neither economically nor practically viable. The other problem was the size of the bezel as they needed it to be very small..

Led was not an option because screens with small enough pixels are not manufactured. “The smallest Led pixel measures approximately 0,7 Mm, which doesn't give us enough pixel density”, Says Sean Smock, Information Technology Officer at the Robert O School of Management. Anderson. “We needed smaller magnitudes”.

The UNM team was interested in the potential of using a networkED AV solution with 4K videowall technology. But that presented a secondary challenge.: how to move 18 4K video streams from a massive server on the third floor to the Visualization Lab, on the first floor.

To address this, the UNM team hired the audiovisual integrator AVI-SPL, that supplied a networked AV solution of Creston and began working with the UNM IT team to design a network for video transport.

In the Visualization Lab, AVI-SPL has installed a videowall Planar Clarity Matrix G3 (MX65U) of almost 2,2 meters long and 0,65 high, in a configuration of 6×3. In addition, the solution includes a Crestron AV backbone DM NVX for video transport.

The full pixel map of the Clarity Matrix G3 video wall is 24K wide by 6K high (23.040×6.480 Pixels).

With Clarity Matrix G3, the impressions of the researchers have been spectacular, according to Smock. “The screen is sharp and works very well with the Crestron NVX equipment. We can easily switch between design modes and reconfigure the space as needed to display a single bulk image or several smaller ones.”.

Clarity Matrix G3

The Clarity Matrix G3 LCD Video Wall System model of 65 4K inches provides optimal digital canvas, excellent mosaic visual performance and the highest image clarity with native Ultra HD resolution (3.840×2.160).

Designed to work 24/7 and with minimal installation space, features Led backlight technology and supports the latest 4K connectivity standards, including HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort 1.2, giving customers flexibility in building their video infrastructure

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