MEGAFUN with ADEPT and DALSA cameras at Screen Worlds

Capturing a Megafun "instant of life" with Dalsa cameras and some clever Adept thinking

Billed as having "an ambitious scope unlike any other exhibition in the world", Screen Worlds which is located in the new Federation Square in the centre of Melbourne Australia, brings together rarely-seen footage, fascinating objects and interactive displays of which Megafun's Time-Slice interactive is one.

The Screen Worlds Time-Slice is designed to provide a fun and interactive way to demonstrate time-slicing as popularised by the Matrix films from Hollywood. A visitor to the exhibit can capture and playback an image sequence of themselves captured over a very short interval from a 360 degree angle of view.

How the Time-slice works?
The exhibit consists of 36 Dalsa Genie GigE (gigabit Ethernet) cameras placed around a circle of approximately 2 metres diameter. The cameras are connected onto the network via two multi-input Gigabit ethernet switches which feed all 36 image streams to a single computer. The 36 Genie cameras were wired and setup by Adept to capture simultaneously so that 36 different views of the visitor are captured at the same time. The system was also setup with a small time delay between captures and when played back in sequence show the person moving as the angle of view rotates.

When images are captured by all 36 cameras they are stored internally in the cameras and then fed over the network to the computer. The Genie cameras have some special features that allow the cameras to negotiate and share the bandwidth on the gigabit ethernet bus to avoid contention and loss of data. Image time-out delay and support for the ethernet "Pause" command for flow control make the Genie's from Dalsa ideal for multi-camera GigE applications.

The capture countdown is triggered by a visitor as they enter into the system circle. An audible countdown is played that allows the visitor to prepare or perform a "special effects moment". Once the capture is completed, it is immediately visible on one of two touch screens placed outside the pod. Visitors can then select and review their capture with the option of emailing a link to send to themselves, family and friends.

Who are the key players in this exhibit?
Megafun specializes in creative and technical services for the arts, entertainment industries, exhibitions and major events "in a spirit of fun and enthusiasm".

Adept Electronic Solutions was chosen to suport Megafun with this project. Keith Tucker, a director of Megafun says "Adept Electronic Solutions were selected to provide the vision hardware and to configure, connect and integrate the system because of Adept's long standing reputation for expertise and quality products and because the Dalsa Genie cameras provided an optimal and cost effective solution".

Adept Electronic Solutions are "The Machine Vision and Imaging Specialists" and distributor of DALSA products in Australia and New Zealand. To find out more about any DALSA machine vision product please email us at: adept@adept.net.au or call us at Perth (08) 92425411 / Sydney (02) 99792599 / Melbourne (03) 95555621 or use our online contact us page.