LED displays offer intelligent multimedia experience at 2010 Shanghai expo

The event is partly being used to strengthen and reaffirm the relationship between the US and China and it is anticipated that two million people will pass through its exhibits in under two months.

One of the main presentations is called ‘Rise to the Challenge’ and it showcases the resilience and ingenuity of the American peoples over the history of the nation. Outside a network of large LED displays which have been engineered with bespoke frames are used to playback video clips of the main event.

Another important section of the expo which integrates LED systems is the story of The Garden. Inside LED panels illuminate the area in a multitude of colours in order to evoke the mood and tone of the high definition content and physical effects to which the audience is being subjected.

The Garden is only eight minutes long, but the LED system is choreographed to cope with 833 different changes in this short period, which has required considerable effort on the part of Electrosonic, which was commissioned to provide the hardware and technical know-how for the event.

Electrosonic’s Thursby Pierce explained how aligning the LED displays and panels in the correct manner that enhanced their relative positions and content was a complex but ultimately rewarding task. Mr Pierce also pointed out that coordinating the multiple display solutions, which incorporates projectors as well as LED displays, required significant attention to detail and occasional improvisation.

The expo is not limited to the confines of the convention centre, as exterior stages feature musical acts and shows, with large scale LED displays feeding back footage to the crowds and the option to broadcast the footage across the video network to LED displays elsewhere.