Case Studies Top
3D Tsunami Video Theater (screen image has been composited)
"The images are truly vivid, and every single viewer is flabbergasted – without exception," says Mr. Maruyama, director of the facility. The destruction wrought by major earthquakes, and the massive tsunamis they cause, is brought to life in a 3D film. Created by two PT-DW10000 projectors, the effect is so powerful that we should probably ask viewers with medical conditions to exercise caution. The true story of "Inamura-no-Hi" (Fire in the Haystacks) tells of Hamaguchi Goryou, who saved his village people from a giant tsunami during the massive earthquake of 1854. Built in a region with a deep connection to the story, the Hamaguchi Goryo Archives / Tsunami Educational Center is meant to raise awareness of the threat of tsunamis, and to shed light on the process of emergency evacuation. The terror of a tsunami is brought home to viewers in a 3D simulation on a giant screen.
The origin of Inamura-no-Hi no Yakata is the Hamaguchi Goryou Archives, established by the town of Hirogawa to teach, and preserve for posterity, the heroic deeds of Hamaguchi Goryou, who was born in 1820 in the town of Hiromura, Wakayama Prefecture (present-day Hirogawa, Aridagun). In April 2007, with the cooperation of the prefectural government of Wakayama, the Tsunami Educational Center was opened with the goal of learning about Inamura-no-Hi, as well as earthquakes and tsunamis, in preparation for the anticipated Great Nankai-Tonankai Earthquake.
After passing through the Hamaguchi Goryo Archives, built in the sukiya (tea-ceremony house) style, one reaches the contemporary Tsunami Educational Center in the back. Inside this building is the compact, yet comfortable 3D Tsunami Video Theater.
Upon entering the cozy 50-seat hall with its tranquil atmosphere, visitors are surprised by the wide screen, seven meters wide and 2.4 meters high. However, they are even more amazed by the vivid 3D film projected on the screen, especially after putting on the special polarizing glasses and seeing the terror of an earthquake and the ensuing tsunami in three dimensions. The director, Mr. Maruyama, says, "When people visit the Center, they’ve just got to see this film." However, he adds with a laugh, "In my own case, I’m always so busy making sure the film is projected correctly, and watching the reaction of the audience, that I’ve never really watched it myself."
The huge 7-meter-wide screen takes visitors' breath away.(screen image has been composited)
Of course, this is an original film, made by mixing live action with computer graphics. 3D films make use of the disparity between the right and left eyes, and they must be watched through special polarizing glasses. This usually results in a sacrifice in brightness, but the PT-DW10000 projectors have a very bright 10000 lm light output. "Even with a seven-meter-wide extra-large 3D screen the image is extremely bright and vivid."
The image is produced by synchronized hard disk servers, eliminating the risk of image degradation from long periods of extended use. There are two movies: "The Terror of Giant Tsunamis/Explanation of How They are Caused" and “Inamura-no-Hi." The "Giant Tsunami" simulation is shown regularly, and "Inamura-no-Hi" is shown by request.
The compact theater seats 50 people.
| Two PT-DW10000 units are installed to the rear of the audience. | The units are equipped with polarizing filters. |
Another attraction of this theater is the realistic earthquake tremors created using low-frequency vibrations. The low-frequency waves are generated by the Body-Sonic transducers mounted in each seat, and synchronized with the scene in the 3D film in which the earthquake occurs. Vibration is used to reach the audience in their seats, making for an unbelievably realistic earthquake experience that supplements the power of the 3D earthquake and tsunami images unfolding on the wide screen.
| The simulation is watched through special polarizing glasses. | Two hard disk servers are mounted on an equipment rack. |
Hirogawa, Arida-gun, Wakayama Prefecture
Panasonic System Solutions Marketing Co., Ltd. (Kansai)
*Japanese model name of PT-DW10000 is TH-DW10000.
