Markets /markets Customer Profiles /markets/customerProfiles/default.asp Mystic Aquarium /markets/customerProfiles/MysticAquarium/default.asp Mystic Aquarium Exhibit Mystic, Connecticut Entertainment /markets/customerProfiles/MysticAquarium/imgs/front.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/MysticAquarium/imgs/discovery.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/MysticAquarium/imgs/inside.jpg /markets/customerProfiles/MysticAquarium/imgs/inside2.jpg Mystic Aquarium /assets/literature/Mystic.Aquarium.pdf /assets/literature/thumbs/ent_MysticAquarium.jpg PDF | 1 MB 2005 1 AMX control systems make it possible to seamlessly integrate all of the devices required for a multimedia display; shows may be started with the simple press of a button, or run at predetermined times. Management of the audio and visual devices is transparent to the operator with a properly programmed control system. Before each show, the system checks the status of each device and cues it to the proper starting point. When the show begins, the system monitors the progress of the presentation, and at the end, resets the system, raises the lights, and closes the curtain. In the event of a problem, the control system can log the problem and display the information on a control panel or page a technician and alert them to the situation. “The designers of Challenge needed a control system capable of integrating the multiple media devices required to create an undersea experience.” The system can even track the number of operations and notify technicians of scheduled maintenance. In May 1999, the Mystic Aquarium unveiled the Institute for Explorations Challenge of the Deep, as part of a $52 million expansion project. Conceived by famed ocean explorer Dr. Robert Ballard, Challenge is much more than an exhibit. The vision of Challenge was to allow visitors to experience the sights, sounds, and sensations of underwater exploration through a combination of audio, video, computer-generated graphics, in conjunction with actual exploration tools and artifacts recovered from the ocean floor. A project of this scope required a team of specialists to help transform this vision into a reality. The staff at the Mystic Aquarium worked with Dr. Ballard and exhibit designer Tom Hennes to define the requirements of the installation and develop the multiple presentations used in the project. Systems integrator Sound Associates, Inc. of New York, was contracted to perform the installation and to provide design assistance. Creating an Undersea Experience SA project manager Louis Shapiro's expertise in audio, video, and system integration helped guide Challenge's creators toward using the AMX control system to coordinate the multiple systems used in the exhibit. "The designers of Challenge needed a control system capable of integrating the multiple media devices required to create an undersea experience. We selected the AMX control system because it met these criteria, and because of AMX's support of their products and customers." Coordinated Effort AMX system specialists worked with Sound Associates in the design phase of the project, and programmer Jeff Mackie developed the software and inter-system protocol required for the project. The installation consists of multiple control systems connected together. Each system runs independently, sharing information with a central system master. By distributing the intelligence over multiple systems, the programming code is simplified, with each subsystem programmed with only the commands needed to operate a specific part of the exhibit. In this configuration, subsystems may be serviced or updated without the need to take the entire exhibit off-line. A New Standard Challenge sets a new standard for interactive exhibit technology. AMX control systems make this interactivity possible, offering reliable, seamless integration of virtually any media resource. This flexibility, combined with experience in service and support, make AMX the obvious choice for interactive multimedia presentation systems.