Electrosonic, an international audiovisual company, has provided the interactive exhibits for the Brooklyn Botanic Garden’s (BBG) new Visitor Center and gateway.
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Working closely with exhibit fabricator, Hadley Exhibits, Electrosonic provided wall mounted and table style interactives that feature flexible audiovisual components to allow BBG staff to easily modify content. In addition the monitors used were selected to perform in the bright ambient light from the glass wall.
Bryan Abelowitz, Electrosonic’s account manager, “The interior space is actually a window onto the gardens, so there’s a lot of ambient light streaming in and a lot of glare. We revised our monitor selection to Samsung DX series high-brightness monitors, which have sensors that automatically adjust to light levels.”
“Electrosonic was wonderful - very attentive, very knowledgeable and willing to help. Everyone was great,” said Sonal Bhatt, director of interpretation and exhibitions at Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
The interactives and support provided by Electrosonic include:
- Three ultra-narrow mullion Samsung UD55A displays were used to create one continuous map image for the wall mounted BBG garden map. On a shelf below the map a Dell interactive PC offers links and information together with colorful printed info panels.
- The day’s events at the BBG are displayed on a portrait-mode 46-inch Samsung LCD monitor. Perpendicualr to this is a graphical “Bloom Calendar” with another Dell interactive PC on the shelf below.
- Two angled 40-inch Samsung LCD displays fed by Adtec signEdje HD MPEG media players which are triggered by motion sensors, display BBG’s mission statement and content aimed at frequent visitors.
- A video of BBG employees challenging visitors to a plant identification quiz appears to float against the glass on a portrait-mode 27-inch Samsung LED display with mount fed by another Adtec signEdje HD MPEG player
- Three innovative peek-a-boo tables, focus on different areas of the garden and how they can be explored using the senses. Hinged, three-dimensional photos of trees, plants and birds can be lifted by small knobs to reveal 6-inch LCD screens. By lifting the photos visitors can see short films about the images. Abelowitz , explains, “Small, solid-state Technovision MPEG players in the tables are triggered by a magnetic switch built into the hinge. Additional push buttons on the tables enable visitors to hear the sounds of the garden and sniff the fragrances of the blooms.”
- Electrosonic also provided a custom AMX control system to streamline operations and allow non-professionals to maintain efficient control of the system. BBG purchased a small back up roster of equipment.
- The control room has two equipment racks containing source, control and monitoring equipment allowing remote monitoring.
- Electrosonic provided systems training for BBG staff and will be providing onsite maintenance and technical support for the first year of the Visitor Center’s operation.
From Electrosonic, Ellen Simich was the project manager and Ed O’Connor project engineer.