- Inside the Design Chamber: Battleship X interactive theater at Nauticus, The National Maritime Center located in Norfolk, Virginia, technology takes center stage — from the 3-D video display screens up front to the hidden AMX Touch Panel programmed to control key aspects of the presentation.
Design Challenge
- Within the 52-seat theater, the year is 1932. It is the eve of World War II and the dawn of battleship warfare. It is here that the visitors to Nauticus are invited to take part in the intense, pressure-packed (not to mention entertaining) process of designing what will become America's great fleet of battleships.
- Design Chamber: Battleship X challenges audience members to take part in determining the parameters of battleship design, ultimately matching wits with the top ship designers of that era. It's a race against time and both Japan and Germany, which were believed to be building more powerful warships.
20th Century …
- Virtually everything in the 325-square-foot theater reflects the 1930s, from the desk props on stage to the presenting actors outfitted in an authentic U.S. Navy uniforms. Portrayed are: Admiral A.J. Chantry and Naval Cryptanalyst Agnes Meyer Driscoll, who were both commissioned to assist in the construction of Battleship USS Wisconsin a half-century ago.
- The mighty Wisconsin, one of the largest war vessels ever built by the U.S. Navy, remains berthed on the Elizabeth River waterfront of downtown Norfolk, adjacent to the Nauticus center. Nicknamed "Whiskey," the immense battleship has been deployed in three American conflicts since it was commissioned during World War II.
… Meets 21st Century
- What you don't see, however, is the AMX 10.4" Touch Panel that sits inconspicuously behind the radio on Admiral Halsey's desk in the theater. The AMX Controller is also out-of-sight, installed in the equipment room next door — about 50 feet from the stage. From this single panel, the actor has the ability to control a video presentation that includes a series of multiple-choice questions for the audience. It provides an easy way to direct the show without drawing attention to this seamlessly implemented technology.
- Electrosonic, an audio-visual company and AMX Dealer, installed the AMX system during the theater's construction phase in 2000. AMX was specified as part of the theater's original blueprint. The 120,000-square-foot Nauticus center, where the theater resides, was built and opened in 1994.
- "We had determined that we needed the presenter positioned at the front of the theater, but also had to make sure he had a way to direct the video presentation and the question-and-answer portions," said Pamela Gillespie, Exhibit Support Manager at Nauticus. "The AMX Touch Panel was a nice solution because it can be hidden behind the radio prop on the desk. The admiral (actor) has become quite slick at using it. He can pace back and forth on stage and press on-screen buttons quickly and easily."
A Matter of Choice
- During the video presentation, multiple-choice questions provide the audience the chance to test their collective knowledge of battleship design and operation. For example, how wide should you build the battleship? A silver two-button interface — for "A" and "B" — installed on each chair in the theater allows every audience member to cast a vote. For example, should the battleship be 108 feet or 121 feet wide?
- The votes are tallied by a networked PC, which is positioned on the equipment rack with the AMX Controller. The results are then displayed on the touch panel and the large video display as the numbers are calculated. Audience members can see almost instantly a pair of bar graphs revealing the percentage of votes for both possible answers.
- So, how wide should you build the battleship? One measured at 121 feet may offer more space on deck for additional crew and weaponry, according to Gillespie, but it won't fit through the Panama Canal that is only 110 feet wide. To make it through this important passageway, the battleship must have a "beam" of 108 feet.
Three-Dimensional Vision
- The design chamber uses two parallel screens, one in front of the other, to provide a 3-D effect. In front of and behind the screens, live actors help introduce the design problems at hand and introduce the video clips of experts who offer pro and con information on various configurations.
- The design chamber also includes other shipbuilding processes and information on overall size, weight, fuel capacities and armaments necessary to take on the latest enemy ships during World War II.
- For the record, the USS Wisconsin is 887.2 feet long, 108.2 feet wide, can complement 1,921 crewmembers and possesses an armament that includes nine 16-inch guns, 20 six-inch guns, 80 40mm guns and 49 20mm guns.
- Timing is Crucial
- The AMX Touch Panel allows each actor playing the admiral to control the timing and flow of each presentation. On-screen buttons can monitor the tallied votes as they are calculated in real time. Other buttons are programmed to advance to video, to shut down and restart the entire show, and to override the voting process (just in case the audience members continue to vote the wrong answers).
- "Each expert explanation by the admiral is predicated on the votes by the audience," said Gillespie. "If they vote correctly, the admiral will tell them one thing. If they vote incorrectly, he may spend a few moments longer explaining something else."
Simplicity & Durability
- The presentation lasts approximately 45 minutes, which correlates to about 12 shows daily, according to Gillespie. A total of 12 different actors — talented and believable as U.S. Navy officers — can portray the admiral, ultimately proving the AMX Touch Panel's ease-of-use and durability, she added.
- "We truly appreciate just how user friendly the AMX panel really is," said Gillespie. "With so many actors, including one who is 75 years of age, trained to operate the panel, it has been problem free and absolutely reliable over the four years we've had it."
