Esterline Simulation Visual Systems, the simulation integration company spun out of Barco, was at I/ITSEC 2017 highlighting its new five-channel TD-550 deployable dome display system and the NOCTIS edge-blending solution in a two-channel configuration.
The TD-550 is a higher-resolution offering within the company’s TD-Series, or Transportable Dome displays portfolio. It is a compact dome that can fit in a container and is powered by five Barco F50 lamp-based WQXGA resolution projectors. The dome is a2.3 m diameter and the screen material is based on fiberglass with a surface coating not unlike ScreenGoo. Edge blending is built into the projectors and alignment is dome using Scalable software and two cameras attached to the structure. The company also showed a time-lapse video showing the assembly of the system which can be operational in 3-4 hours.
The company developed the solution after surveying the market and finding that a low cost performance dome was a “hole in the market”. The TD-550 costs around $200K for a visual resolution of 5.5 arc minutes per optical line pair, with lower fidelity versions for as low as $80K.
Esterline says they can create custom versions too like one they showed with part of the screen cut out to accommodate a cockpit.
The company is also launching a new high-resolution SEER dome series. These new displays come in 1.5m and 2m radius versions and are equipped with 4K UHD solid state illuminated projectors to minimize the running cost and maximize image quality.
Esterline’s new Noctis edge-blending solution provides blending across both the visible and night-vision spectrums and works with projectors using lamp, LED or laser-phosphor light sources. This replaces a previous solution that featured a film placed between two plates of glass. The new solution features a variable density transition zone directly bonded to glass, so it is quite durable. It was demonstrated blending two F70 projectors. – CC
