Extron Turns Hill Library into a Reference Center for Learning

The spaces of these facilities belonging to the NCSU that have incorporated switching solutions, AV distribution and control of Extron have been the Visualization Studio, the Innovation Studio and the Data Experience Lab.

the Library D. H. Hill Jr.. of the University of North Carolina (NCSU), which stores more than one million books, named after Daniel Harvey Hill, Jr., an English teacher who was one of the first five NCSU faculty members. He was president of the university for several years at the beginning of 1900. The library was built in phases over decades and the building underwent a major renovation in 2021.

The renovation has led to extensive remodeling of the structure, and many additions and technological updates, including audiovisual services. This makes the Hill Library a reference center for learning, teaching, research, collaboration and experimentation.

The spaces in which AV technology has been incorporated have been the Innovation Studio, designed to showcase virtual reality and other emerging technologies; the Visualization Studio, with immersive projection of 360 Degrees; and the Data Experience Lab, a collaborative environment for data science, visualization and analytics.

Also included in the renovation were more study rooms for groups, learning laboratories and spaces for presentations that increased the existing endowment of these rooms in the library.

UNCW has used Extron technology in different projects of its facilities. If you used the solution ControlScript and your system NAV in your new building Veterans Hall (more information at Digital AV), now your switching products, AV distribution and control have been crucial to the operation of all these spaces of the Hill Library.

NCSU's internal AV team made the decision to implement switching, Extron AV distribution and control at the Hill Library, partly because they were already using their software GlobalViewer Enterprise to manage its extensive Extron system installations in many of the university's other learning spaces.

Visualization Studio

The Visualization Studio is a theater with an immersive circular stage, designed to showcase content produced by the university and students across campus.

Eight projectors and twelve speakers deliver video 360 degrees and immersive Dolby Atmos surround sound for compelling teaching and learning, research talks, special projects and events.

A switching array XTP II CrossPoint 1600 from 16×16 is used to select and distribute program content and control signals via shielded twisted pair cables to projectors. An XTP receiver on each projector provides HDMI video and RS-232 control signals to the projectors.

The audio system includes the amplifiers XPA U 1002-70V and NetPA 1001-70V AT. These deliver sound from analog and Dante sources to an extensive ceiling and wall speaker system., including seven surface-mount speakers SM 28T, on the circular wall surrounding the audience, and four hanging speakers SF 26PT suspended from the ceiling.

AV and lighting functions in the room are handled via a touchscreen interface on an iPad mini with the app Extron Control. Responding to touchscreen selections, a control processor IPCP Pro 555 controls all components of the AV system, while a IPCP Pro 250 controls the lighting of the room.

Innovation Studio

The Innovation Studio is a learning space that showcases the work of students and faculty using a novel interactive projection experience.

Projection surfaces of 3×1,5 meters appear on the four tables of each of the quadrants of the study. A 4K laser projector on the ceiling, by oak of each table, points down, providing content on each table.

A depth camera recognizes the movements of the user's hand in the 3D space on the tables as they interact with what is projected, emulating a touch screen, but without 'touching'.

The experience is carried out with the software of Relative Scale LLC, a Raleigh firm with multiple NCSU alumni on staff.

Space can be reconfigured to present workshops and events by turning off exhibits and moving wheel tables. Three standard projectors with drop-down screens are used for presentations.

Again, an XTP II CrossPoint switching array 1600 and HDMI XTP SR HD 4K receivers handle AV switching and distribution to projectors and sound system.

The content for the four display tables comes from four computers. Content for standard presentations comes from three HDMI XTP T HWP wall-mounted transmitters 101 4K.

Five mono MPA amplifiers 601 operate ten ceiling-mounted speakers on tables and in presentation areas.

The operation of the AV system is controlled from a touch screen TouchLink Pro TLP Pro 1220MG from 12″ wall-mounted via an IPCP Pro control processor 555.

Data Experience Lab and South Learning Lab

The Data Experience Lab and the South Learning Lab offer tools to help students and faculty gain knowledge in data science and digital research.

here, library staff provide training in the organization and exploitation of datasets, data creation using graphs in many ways, and the use of geospatial methodologies. Campus groups focused on data science and digital research also use the spaces as meetinghouses.. Multimedia is key to the data visualization techniques practiced in these laboratories.

The Data Experience Lab is used for small group demonstrations. The South Learning Lab is set up as an active learning class for both large and small groups.

The first includes an interactive touch screen display device from 86 Inch. A collaboration system for HC meeting spaces 404 streams HDMI video and audio to the display device from a computer, a wireless access point or wall-mounted HDMI connector.

The touchscreen port of the flat panel display device and its wireless keyboard and mouse connect to the computer via a pair of USB Extender Plus receiver transmitter. User control is through a panel of networked buttons NBP 106 D wall-mounted.

The South Learning Lab has many AV content sources and display devices. An XTP II CrossPoint Switching Array 1600 is used to select and distribute program content and control signals.

Students can share HDMI content by connecting to one of six HDMI wall-mounted transmitters XTP T HWP 101 4K or one of the seven wireless access points.

The instructor's lectern contains a computer connection and a guest HDMI connection, both provide content to the switching matrix via XTP transmitters. Video is also available from a PTZ camera connected to the usb computer port on the lectern. The two ceiling-mounted projectors and the six active learning display devices 48 inches receive signals from the XTP switching array.

Room audio system includes ceiling array microphone transmissions, wireless microphones and program audio from the switching matrix via Dante analog and network sources. An MPA amplifier 601 runs the speakers in the room.

The AV system is controlled by an IPCP Pro control processor 555. There are two touchscreen user interfaces: one on the iPad mini with the Extron Control app and the other on the TouchLink Pro TLP Pro 1220TG touchscreen 12 instructor desktop inches.

Group study rooms

Group study rooms are ideal places to share ideas. Each has four seats around a table, a side wall dedicated to an interactive whiteboard, and a front with a flat screen display device of 48 Inch.

Participants can share HDMI content with an HC meeting space collaboration system 402 via a wired connection to the transmitter on HC wall plate 402 or a wireless access point.

Users control the AV system with the NBP button panel 106 D wall-mounted next to the transmitter on wall plate.

Other articles on Extron, Extron Electronics, Relative Scale LLC, University of North Carolina - UNC