BLU An Immersive Underwater Experience
“The sea, once it casts its spell, it holds one in its net of wonder forever.” – Jacques-Yves Cousteau
The ocean means a feeling of calm and clarity. Our affinity for endless water is even reflected in the almost universal appeal of the color blue.
We are naturally drawn to aquatic tones and we humans associate this color with qualities such as openness, depth and wisdom. We learn early on that our brains are programmed to respond positively to water and that being close to water can calm and connect us and increase innovation and insight. Spending time near the sea is good for our mental and physical health.
In the presence of the ocean, stress and anxiety quickly ebb. The beady heals. Mood lifts. Thoughts clarify. Memory sharpens. Attention focuses. The mind expands.
We have a ‘Blue Spirit" perfectly tailored to make us happy in so many ways, far beyond relaxing in the surf, listening to the babbling of a creek or swimming silently in a pool.
Staying near water gives our brain and senses a break from over stimulation. The sound of water for us is a worthy substitute for silence. Many of us love to sit by the sea and watch the waters gently move. The ocean puts us in a slightly meditative state of calm concentration and gentle mindfulness. The sea can inspire us to be more compassionate and connected, it puts us in that wonderful ‘one with the universe' feeling.
BLU captures that feeling in an immersive way. BLU allows the visitor to discover the deep sea with all of its creatives-only one footstep away. By creating eight different immersive experiences in one unforgettable 360° digital exhibition, BLU connects the visitor with the sea world; he is not only enabled to take active part in the exposition through interacting with the sea creatures, he is even able to create content himself.
BLU is the ideal family activity to learn about sea life in an ultimate fun yet extremely educational way. BLU is the one-of-a-kind trip info the deep waters of the sea and to experience the exhilarating color and intensive beauty of the abyss.
"Like the sea itself, the shore fascinates us who return to it, the place of our dim ancestral beginnings. In the recurrent rhythms of tides and surf and in the varied life of the tide lines there is the obvious attraction of movement and change and beauty. There is also, I am convinced, a deeper fascination born of inner meaning and significance." Rachel Carson "Edge of the Sea”
BLU is imagination turned into reality. Over 60% of our planet is covered by water more than a mile deep. The deep sea is the largest habitat on earth and is largely unexplored. BLU is here to shine a light on the unexplored depth.
BLU is proposing to unique immersive and digital art exhibitions for all. It is a concept which provides a fully life like experience of being underwater and interacting with the aquatic life.
The entire experience is curated and developed to give it a surreal and instant feel for the visitor.
BLU is such an immersive digital exhibition, discovering an unsuspected biodiversity. Widely unknown because difficult to access, the ocean contains a fascinating feeling of life.
The exhibition offers an unforgettable journey into the heart of this incomparable and beautiful world.
A place of exploration, a biodiversity reserve, a source of inspiration and legends.
A place of exploration, a biodiversity reserve, a source of inspiration and legends. The visitor discovers the most astonishing and little-known facets of the ocean.
Throughout the experience, the visitor dives into the unique interactive galleries that lead to the encounter with more than 40 different sea creatures.
Playful interactions with flora and fauna delight the young and old during this odyssey into hyper realistic and over dimensional computer graphics and animations.
BLU offers a state-of-the-art innovative and immersive journey that allows you to discover the importance of the ocean conservation.
Raising awareness and respect for biodiversity and natural ecosystems is at the heart of the BLU. The aim is to allow anyone, families, children, schoolchildren, associations and companies) to explore the ocean without disrupting the ecosystems.
Welcome to the world of BLU.
WHY
Scientists estimate the equivalent of one garbage truck full of plastic pollution enters our oceans every minute or 8 million metric tons annually. It is further estimated that at this rate, by the year 2050 there will be more plastic in the oceans than fish (by weight.)
Drifting between two bodies of water it can strangle or smother any number of animal species.
The danger goes further: under the influence of the sun, it fragments into micro plastics that are ingested by fish and so enter the food chain. It is therefore also a potential threat to human health.
To see our seas clean and plastic-free one day, we need to start by increasing the knowledge and understanding of plastic pollution among people of all backgrounds.
BLU seeks to inform and educate consumers, communities and industries to make more sustainable choices.
In each gallery and for each experience, we took the decision to craftily showcase plastic bottles, plastic papers and other rubbish polluting our oceans to the detriment of an idyllic coral reef.
We want to raise awareness and start a conversation with our children about this issue. Deeper explanations about the pollution and its impact will be given into our mobile application.
HOW
BLU will be a created by using multimedia and interactive technology. It will be first immersive project which will encapsulate both imaginative oceanography, and technology to create life like Experience.
They will be able to actively take part in the exposition by creating content and interacting with the fish; away for the whole family to learn about sea life in a fun and educative way. The best part about it is that it only takes one hour.
It will be inclusive of both interactive and non-interactive arenas. After the experience to commemorate the entire experience there will be a merchandise store, photo booths, sale of memory maker photos and a brasserie/bistro with cuisine reflecting the experience for the visitors to wind down before they say their goodbyes.
We will achieve this by allowing visitors to discover all fish species living all different sea levels; from 0 to more than 6000 meters deep, ranging from the most famous species like the shark to some of the mast mysterious creatures living beneath the surface, by creating six different experiences that allow visitors to interact with the sea world in many different ways.
They will be able to actively take part in the exposition by creating content and interacting with the fish; away for the whole family to learn about sea life in a fun and educative way. The best part about it is that it only takes one hour.
LOCATION
BLU travels with its own semi permanent building structure, developed by German specialists and optimized in respect of set up and dismantling times, staff intensity and requirements for soil texture and conditions.
The structure will have 2,500 sq. m / 27,000 sq. ft. including a front of house solution, box office and merchandising shop.
THE EXPERIENCE
01 On the Tail of the Whale: Largest Interactive Screen in Exhibition Technology.
On the Trail of the Whale - The Gallery incorporates a large 25 meters projection screen with an incredible 8K resolution showcasing the largest animal living on earth at scale 1/1, the whale!
Other large-scale animals such as the Orca, the White Shark but also smaller fish species will also animate this large window to the sea. The giant screen is equipped with an interactive laser touch surface of 25m allowing unique interactions with fishes. For even more immersion, the floor will reflect the water effects thanks to a special flooring fabric and the walls will be covered by a specific aluminum fabric recreating the environment of oceans.
02 Through the Eye of the Shark: Take some time to explore the depths through interactive technology.
In the same gallery, several virtual reality headsets integrated into a Shark's head or Clown Fish's head will allow children and adults to explore in 360° the sea life in the eye of a Shark or a Clown fish. The visitors will be immersed into a fantastic journey discovering their living marine habitat 4K resolution virtual headsets will be integrated into a rotating support letting users to look at 360° and discover the flora and fauna.
03 The Artists of the Coral Reef: Let your creativity come alive.
This second gallery is a sea world-heaven for children. Video images projected onto 2 walls giving 15 meters of screens length will bring fairy tales and other stories to life thanks to the children drawings.
This room allows them to become artists by drawing their favorite fish and seeing them coming to life in a luxuriant submarine life.
They can look and interacting with their creations, simply by scanning them. With their unending imagination, children might even create their own species and bring them to life, once and for all. Have you ever wanted to see a purple and green Clown Fish or a Mackerel with big, colorful eyes and lashes? The chance is large you'll find it here, possibly created by one of your own children.
04 A Dance with a School of Fish: Latest Interaction Technologies Galore.
The third gallery is an immersive and interactive 10m long tunnel where visitors will walk underneath the sea and stare at a huge schools of fish.
Thanks to a body tracking solution and 3D cameras combined with four rear projectors, visitors will have the superpower to make them dance to the rhythm of their own movements.
A reflective floor will complete the immersion-by. Reflecting on the floor the entire sea environment.
05 Wreck Diving Exploration: Immersive Technology at its best.
The fifth gallery is arguably one of the most, if not the most special of them all. Have you ever dreamt of exploring a ship that sank over 300 years ago?
Imagine all of the treasure you’ll find! This room makes that a reality. Simply by holding a "special flashlight quipped with motion sensors, you can explore the entire ship, searching for the creatures living there, maybe even the secret of the ship. Leave no area unexamined, no stone unturned, and find what it is you're looking for.
Three projectors will equip the space covering two walls for a total of 15 meters.
06 Enchanted waters: 360° of Underwater Impressions.
In this last gallery, the sea world will wrap itself around you with °360 projection on all walls and floors with no less than 10 projectors. The space is fully active, thanks to motion sensors stationed around the room which will track your position in the space.
In these enchanted colorful waters, visitors will be surrounded by colorful and strange types of fish you can imagine. Children will love to run around the room, jump and catch creatures.
The App
For Attendees:
- Dynamic Event Guide gives attendees the right information at the right time; before, during, and after the event
- Interactive floor plans so they always know where they go
- Push notifications: keep attendees informed with important announcements and key news
For Sponsors:
- Profiling: Sponsors can Track Attendees Engagement
- Analytics: track all the digital interactions between attendees and receive a ROI on your sponsorship.
Technical Overview
Multi projector Video Workstations: The heart of the system is undeniably the video processing. In this project, new boundaries have been reached with real time and interactive 8K video processing using the state-of-the-art video workstation providing the highest standards in quality and performance.
Projectors: Spectacular image quality, ultimate reliability and low maintenance are the success key of our projectors setup. In total 24 laser projectors of 7,500 ANSI Lumen, with WUXGA resolution and short throw lenses are used to build the BLU Exhibition.
Interactivity: For the first time in the immersive exhibition market, BLU is bringing different interactions in each gallery. Motion sensors, infrared cameras, laser radar detectors and more will be used in our galleries to engage the visitors into a unique experience.
CONCLUSION
- An irresistible and seducing digital and latest technology exhibition.
- A highly entertaining and excitingly educative experience of the entire family.
- A compact informative contribution to a growing awareness for sustainability
- A colorful and profitable leisure module at a very competitive price.