The Battery Atlanta, a mixed-use development that leads fans into the new SunTrust Park, home of the Atlanta Braves, features a new 7ft. tall by 69ft. long curved NanoLumens Nixel Series LED display that is wrapped 360 degrees around a giant metal baseball, a main attraction and meeting point.
According to Dan Rossborough, NanoLumens director of strategic projects, the idea for this digital centerpiece came from Atlanta Braves president of business Derek Schiller. The Braves wanted something that would stand out from every direction and make a bold statement in the first work/play/live development in professional sports.
“The display weighs just under 5,000 pounds, and that’s only possible because of NanoLumens’ patented technologies that are thinner and lighter than others, and have fewer moving parts,” Rossborough said. “Because it uses less power and produces very little heat, cooling fans aren’t required. Because the largest serviceable component of a NanoLumens Nixel Series display weighs just 4.5 pounds, it can be serviced from the front by one worker on a ladder or cherry picker.”
Hovering 40 feet over a water fountain, the baseball display provides opportunities for advertising, broadcasting live baseball games, and creates a central meeting point within The Battery Atlanta neighborhood. Designed with a 9.5mm pixel pitch and the ability to reach 7,000 nits of brightness, the 360-degree display is visible from more than 100 yards away in every direction.
The display is constantly exposed to the elements and runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so the IP65 weather rating and thorough warranty were key selling points.
“This area is a hotspot within The Battery Atlanta,” Rossborough said. “It’s the main plaza visitors pass through before entering SunTrust Park, and is surrounded by top restaurants, shops, apartments, and the new Comcast regional headquarters building. That means it could see more than 50,000 people parade through on a game day. Right at the base of the ball, Fox has broadcast rights to host pregame and postgame shows, and the spray fountain is a popular spot for families and friends to meet.”
The NanoLumens display broadcasts advertisements, pregame festivities, and live Braves games. To broadcast live video, the content software splits the 360-degree display into four sections that each display a standard 16:9 ratio video feed. Because the amount of ambient light varies from direct sunlight to the darkness of night, the display includes light sensors and automatically adjusts its brightness output every few seconds to ensure it is always at the optimal viewing level. Additionally, a notification system sends alerts if temperatures go too high in the display or other issues arise, and a half-mile-long fiber optic cable connects the display to the control room at SunTrust Park.
PRODUCT AT WORK
NanoLumens Nixel Series
NanoLumens Nixels are small, flexible panels of LEDs that the manufacturer can combine to create a seamless HD display in any size, shape, or curvature.
