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Six Medialon Managers are playing a unique role in
controlling a highly-interactive and immersive network
at Paléosite, the Interactive Prehistory Center in St.
Césaire, France. A new concept and an innovative
approach to exploring prehistory, Paléosite invites
visitors to the 10-acre park to go back in time to
witness the Big Bang and meet our Neanderthal cousins.
"The challenge was to implement an automated system
integrating various audiovisual techniques which
dialogue via a network," explains Roland Roy, branch
manager of Axians, Paléosite's integrator. Among the
technologies converging at the attraction are video,
lighting, sound, databases, automation, and interactive
kiosks. Six Medialon Managers automate and pilot these
technologies which tie into 18 video projectors, 200
square meters of image projection, and 40 IP network
terminals.
Paléosite is built on the site of the 1979 discovery of
the fossilized remains of a young Neanderthal woman,
dubbed Pierrette, who changed scientists' perception of
Neanderthals from brutish subhumans to our close
relatives who survived in Europe until 28,000 years ago.
When visitors enter Paléosite each receives a "Paléopass,"
a magnetic card on which is recorded information about
the person -- gender, age, language and more -- which
makes it possible to tailor the visit to the visitor's
profile. As visitors proceed from room to room, they are
guided by a succession of lighting and special effects,
which mix to animate real sets, which feature
synthesized images, panoramic screens and 3D projections
on mirrors. Paléosite's goal? To bring prehistory to
life even though few actual prehistoric artifacts are
exhibited.
In the Morpho workshop visitors explore the physical
characteristics of the Neanderthals through animations
which enable them to scan and morph one of our
ancestors. They can measure their strength by
arm-wrestling a virtual Neanderthal and collecting
virtual artifacts as if they were real archaeologists.
Throughout, voice, data and still images merge with
light, sound, videos and animations.
"Paléosite is a very unique environment," points out
Axians project manager Daniel Saulnier. "It required
unique competences to create an audiovisual architecture
connected to ticketing with Paléopass and the Internet.
The amount of AV equipment involved added to the
challenge." Paléosite represents 1,500 hours of
engineering and 6,000 hours of integration and
installation -- an achievement in which Medialon Manager
is proud to play a role. |
