As part of our ongoing effort to highlight our technical achievements, Tom has some info on our system overview:
Guests using the Starscape application will be holding an iPad in their hands, but this is only one small part of the show. Behind the scenes there are a number of systems and devices communicating and working together to make this experience happen. Here is a brief description of the technology that makes Starscape run!
The iPad – Guests will explore and interact with the fairy realm using an Apple iPad 2. The Starscape application uses built-in sensors such as the gyroscope and compass to determine where it should look in the virtual world. When the guest interacts with an object or character inside the world, that generates an event that is sent out over a wireless network to the Server.
The Server – This computer works behind the scenes to keep everything running at the same time. During a show, it listens for events from the iPad, and uses that information to determine what sounds to play and what lighting events to send to the Show Control system. The Server stores the location of every star in the tower and when the guest scans their barcode at the entrance, that location is sent to the iPad and used to place the star in the virtual sky. The Server also hosts a web-based interface to allow the staff at Give Kids to record the stars when they place them on the tower walls.
The Show Control System – This machine controls the lights and sounds inside and outside of the tower. When the Server sends it a lighting cue during a show, the Show Control System will respond by sending signals to the equipment that controls the individual LED light fixtures in the tower. This system will run events in the tower during times when the show is not running. It also controls the sounds and effects for the outdoor show, where the fairy appears from the cupola on top of the tower each evening.
The Cameras – There are 9 networked cameras placed throughout the tower. At the end of a show, the guest sees a live image of their star, sent over an internet connection by one of these cameras. The Server uses its database to recall the location of the guest’s star, and sends a command to the appropriate camera to point and zoom onto that spot, then send the feed to the iPad.