LED Video Wall & AV System, Orlando Science Center








We completed a super fun project including an LED video wall at the redesigned café of the iconic Orlando Science Center near Downtown Orlando.
Back in Sept. 2020, we posted about this project when we were in the early stages of collaboration. The project evolved a bit since then and we are so proud of the finished product!
The Science Center leaders were ready to completely switch up their museum café design. Their vision was to create an interactive learning space that just so happens to serve food, rather than the standard cafeteria vibe. The museum team partnered with the incredible team from 4Rivers to create a beautiful and engaging space that focuses on Florida’s Food Heroes.
We were so proud to be a part of this project for the Orlando arts community!
The talented and creative team at the Orlando Science Center were so wonderful to work with! We collaborated on the best solutions for their space and their visitors. It involved completely gutting the old café and envisioning a new way to use the space. An innovative space for learning with the comforts visitors expect from an eatery.
A bonus was getting to know the wonderful team at 4Rivers and their charity foundation, 4Roots. The owner, John Rivers, has set out on a mission to help farmers and educate children and adults about where our food comes from. The 4Roots Café at the Orlando Science Center is the first expression of the 4Roots mission. It is insightful and inspiring, and also delicious!
This project was close to our hearts as techie nerds who love science AND our hometown of Orlando. Check out the Orlando Science Center 4Roots Café website and plan your visit for a Lunch ‘n Learn soon! See more of our video wall projects here for inspiration of your next project!
See Details
Summary
Q-SYS Control System
Custom designed touch panel and iPad UI design to match their branding
Giant LED video wall in 2.6mm pixel pitch
Custom designed steel LED mount
Brightsign digital signage and media player
Video switching capabilities
Full range in-ceiling speakers & subwoofers
Full range pendant speakers & subwoofers
Wireless microphone system
High definition PTZ cameras
Touch panel & iPad for user controls
PC included for Ascend’s 24/7 Remote Help Desk
Details
The Vision
We worked with the museum leadership team to design an AV system to fit their unique needs. They dreamed of hosting Food Hero presentations in the café highlighting guest speakers from farms across Florida. These “Food Heroes” would teach children and adults about how food is grown, how to protect soil and bees, and so many more facets of Florida’s booming agriculture industry. They also wanted to have a space where outside groups could reserve a unique conference space for events. Mission accomplished!
The Design
The Ascend design team got to work on a modern control system that would tie together the video and audio components in an easy to use system for the end users. The system needed to be easy for the event staff to operate. We put together presents for the staff. With the press of a button on the included iPad, the staff can switch from the standard content for “day mode” to one of the “event” mode settings. This magic is made possible by the creative work of our programming team!
The Install
We kicked off the installation process with the speakers. In-ceiling style speakers and subwoofers were installed into drop ceiling tiles in the center of the café. Pendant style speakers and subwoofers were strung from aircraft cable in the back of the space with higher ceilings.
Next, we moved on to our favorite part – installing a full sized 42U rack with all of the fun stuff! A QSYS control system, network switch and all of the other hardware needed to make the full system work together seamlessly.
Lastly, we shifted to install the giant 10′ x 6.5′ LED video wall. This thing is a beauty! We started with the giant, custom-designed steel mount for the LED cabinets. The process of installing a video wall takes precision, attention to detail, craftsmanship and a whole lot of patience!
The Finished Product
The end result is a completely seamless AV system that non-technical staff members can easily operate! Our programmers do the heavy lifting before installation and it’s like magic! The client enjoys a robust sound system for their background music during “day mode”. And when they switch to one of their “event” modes, the presenters are heard with amazing clarity through the high quality mics and speakers. The high def PTZ cameras allow their presenters to be seen on the big screen from any where in the café. The star of the show is the beautiful LED video wall in the center of the space! The staff has received so much positive feedback from visitors enjoying the trivia and Food Hero videos on the LED screen during their visit to the café. That’s why we do what we do!