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Sharp NEC Display Solutions client installation – Leisure and Entertainment

Ulster Museum

Robust and reliable PCAP touch technology

High performance PCAP touch sensors provide the highest level of touch accuracy ensuring visitors to Ulster Museum enjoy the best possible interactive experience when using the NEC touch table. Meanwhile, the damage-resistant surface is easy to clean and extremely robust against heavy usage.

Displaying a vast array of art, historical artifacts and specimens from the natural world, Ulster Museum in Belfast tells the unique human story of Northern Ireland. In bringing this story to life, AV makes a significant contribution to the visitor experience as they take a journey through history.

Sharp/NEC display technology is prevalent throughout the venue as both passive and interactive large format displays, and projection technology provide opportunities for closer engagement with the narrative. A recent addition is an intriguing interactive tabletop. Surrounded by display cabinets exhibiting historical objects and a timeline chronicling key events, in the centre of the room, the table invites visitors to discover more.

The Challenge

The museum’s audio-visual systems are integrated by Fluid AV; managing director Stephen Mayne confidently chooses NEC branded displays for their robust reliability.

‘In a public space with high visitor footfall, robustness is vital. Our interactive tabletop installation for instance must stand up to the rigours of usage which might be beyond its intended remit such has children sitting on it - we’ve even seen it used as a nappy changing table!’

This challenging environment proved too much for a previous similar tabletop installation using IR overlay technology. Installed face up, side by side, the proximity of the displays caused interference with neighbouring displays resulting in a poor user experience. The surface of the IR touch displays was also not suitable to withstand the often-unusual usage. Fluid AV recommended the use of NEC PCAP touch displays to provide the appropriate level of reliable precision touch interaction and robust long-life performance.

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The Solution

The table integration configures six 55” NEC displays in a 3 x 2 arrangement, each presenting content in ultra-high definition with a smartphone-like interactive touch experience. Visitors can deep-dive into a myriad of information including videos to illustrate areas of interest. Accompanying the visual experience, each display has a corresponding audio feed from a Mystsytems PAN64 ceiling mounted directional speaker ensuring only the individual viewing the display can hear the commentary. Each display is connected to its own PC located remotely using Extron HDMI and USB transmitters and receivers.

Using advanced 3MTM PCAP technology, the user enjoys exceptional touch performance without moiré or sparkles which can hamper other touch technologies. The scratch-resistant glass surface is entirely flush with no raised bezel for an easy to clean edge-to-edge solution without any compromise to image quality nor glare reflecting from room lighting.

The Result

Delayed due to covid, the equipment was ready to be installed pre-pandemic. Now, as visitor attractions pull out all the stops to increase footfall, interactive exhibits are key to enticing visitors with engaging experiences. With the new NEC PCAP touch table, Ulster Museum can provide an exceptional visitor experience, encouraging repeat visits for many years to come.

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