Christie, the global visual and audio technology company, has provided its laser projection technology for the new FlyRide “Take Flight” attraction at Wilderness Resort in Wisconsin. On this unique aerial ride by SimEx-Iwerks Entertainment, the industry leader in immersive cinematic attractions, visitors enjoy a soaring flight over US National Parks, notable American landmarks and the Wisconsin Dells.
The ride uses four Christie D4K40-RGB pure laser projectors with the Christie Mystique Large Scale Experience (LSE) system, a multi-projector alignment and blending solution.
New adventures at Wilderness Resort
Wilderness Resort is set over 600 acres of forest with three accommodation properties to choose from. There are activities to suit everyone, from golf to indoor and outdoor waterparks, as well as several dining options. Take Flight, the latest attraction to be added to the park, opened in September 2020 and has already proved popular.
The experience begins before visitors even set foot on the ride itself, with an airport-themed lobby where windows show scenes from National Parks. They then queue at an airport, complete with aeroplane seats, before joining the ride.
The FlyRide attraction seat 60 guests, with five per ride vehicle. Once they are seated and ready to go, the front doors open to show an immersive five-story partial dome and their feet dangle, giving them the sensation of flying.
Sharp image and vibrant colour
Speaking about the choice of Christie RGB pure laser projectors for this project, Brian Ferguson, senior vice-president of technology and operations at SimEx-Iwerks, says “it offers a sharper image and better colour.”
The D4K40-RGB pure laser projector has a compact, all-in-one design, featuring 45,000 lumens and 4K resolution. It is able to produce over 95-percent of the Rec.2020 colour space resulting in colourful, vibrant visuals.
Doug Wildeboer, A/V engineering manager at SimEx-Iwerks, says: “We needed projectors that we could orient into abnormal positions to get the proper coverage in the three-dimensional dome. We needed to angle them down and on their sides. It was absolutely required, and the project would not have been possible with any projector that wasn’t omnidirectional.”
Thanks to the LSE edition of Christie Mystique, the projectors stayed aligned for a perfect image. “One of the decisions we’ve made as a company is to deploy systems that offer autocalibration, so if the whole system is moved it can be put back in place. The operator can run the routine and lock the system back into the same condition as when we left it,” adds Wildeboer.
“At Wilderness Resort, we have a very complex screen. It’s a partial dome screen, and instead of relying on our eyes to try to align the system, Mystique is incredible at being able to do that by the numbers.
“We have LED markers around the edge of the screen, so if a camera is jarred, the markers will light up and let the system know exactly where the screen is. That removes operator error or intervention with recalibrating the system.” The recalibration process can be run in around 10 minutes at the touch of a button.
“We’re thrilled to have worked with SimEx-Iwerks on another successful FlyRide,” says Doug Boyer, senior account manager, Entertainment, Christie. “SimEx-Iwerks is known for creating world-class immersive attractions, and “Take Flight” is no exception.”
Christie also recently provided GS Series laser projectors to a dome theatre in the Xiong’an New Area self-sufficient and sustainable city.
