Modulo Pi, a provider of media server solutions with a user-friendly design, has shared details of its project at Futuroscope, France, where its media servers are powering the captivating audiovisual experiences in the new Aquascope water park.
Futuroscope’s Aquascope, a pioneering water park with immersive, themed worlds, raises the bar for innovation. At more than 6,000 square metres, the water park uses cutting-edge technology to provide a visitor experience like never before.
See also: Futuroscope: the past, present, and future of a pioneering park
At the heart of the audiovisual system is the Modulo Kinetic media server, which is deployed in combination with the first installation of Modulo Pi’s innovative 3D auto-calibration solution.
Unique water park concept
In keeping with the park’s ethos and emphasis on digital technologies, the teams at Futuroscope and its maintenance and development branch FMD devised a unique concept that defies standard water park conventions.
Yannis Marchet, development and projects manager at FMD, says: “We wanted to include the fun and excitement of iconic slides, but we know that during a family visit, you also need spaces to relax, and we didn’t want it to be limited to just deckchairs.”
Aquascope opened on 15 July 2024 and extends across 6,000 square metres indoors with 3,500 square metres of outdoor space, and a maximum capacity of 1,700 guests.
As with Futuroscope, advanced imaging technologies have been implemented at the indoor site to deliver a unique immersive water park experience. Here, guests are transported into enchanting worlds where huge projections by Moment Factory work together with water and light effects to create a spectacle unlike any other.
Technical challenges
Integrating state-of-the-art projection technology into the aquatic setting of Aquascope posed unique problems for FMD’s teams. To safeguard the equipment, hopper-type control rooms were built above the water basins.
“The particularity of this project lies in working in a chlorinated environment, which is highly corrosive,” says Marchet.
“The projectors are entirely isolated from the pool’s ambient air, with dedicated air conditioning systems drawing in fresh air from outside the pool area.”
Kiné-eau, one of Aquascope’s showstoppers, provides a spectacular multi-sensory experience in which water and visuals combine perfectly. Guests can explore a 200 square-metre pool, surrounded by a 270 degree, 5-metre high panoramic screen. Multimedia content is delivered on the 165 square metre screen using five Barco 4K22 projectors that provide a resolution of 44 million pixels.
To ensure optimal projection quality, FMD partnered with Modulo Pi and its advanced 3D auto-calibration technology. This camera-based software module is currently under development and provides pixel-perfect mapping on any projection surface.
Marchet says: “We’ve valued our partnership with Modulo Pi for years – their proximity, guidance, and innovation have been invaluable. The innovation of 3D auto-calibration was particularly compelling for our project.”
Projection perfected
FMD used the Modulo Kinetic media server together with Modulo Pi’s cutting-edge 3D auto-calibration solution, to create an outstanding mapping of the 270 degree cylindrical screen at Kiné-eau as a preview for this project.
The process started with a 3D scan of Kiné-eau, which was converted into a refined mesh and imported into Modulo Kinetic. Using 10 on-site PoE cameras connected to the media server, an accurate point cloud of Kiné-eau was generated and aligned in real-time with the previously imported mesh. The 3D auto-calibration option automatically aligned the five Barco projectors, calculating geometry and overlap areas to ensure flawless projection. In addition to providing ideal calibration, the system also allows for easy maintenance over time.
“In this space, self-calibration is permanently installed, allowing activation whenever needed,” Marchet adds.
To complete the Kiné-eau experience, five Nexo ID84 speakers were installed, as well as timecoded water and light effects that interact with the projected content, such as projections on the screen of falling meteorites that cause bubble effects in the pool as they reach the water.
Acclaimed concept
Aquascope offers visitors the opportunity to explore La Crique, a magical cavern with a 300 square metre video mapping installation, glowing water, colourful water jets, a water curtain with glyphs, and two interactive beaches where particles react to the visitors’ movements.
FMD installed four Barco 4K video projectors with Modulo Kinetic for the mapping. The projected images flawlessly match the complex rocky background of the cavern thanks to the media server’s sophisticated warping tools. Media from Modulo Kinetic is delivered at a resolution of 33 million pixels.
The visual display is accompanied by synchronised sound and underwater lighting. La Crique also acts as the starting point for a meandering river that runs through Aquascope’s interiors. Visitors board individual buoys and float down the waterway, while they enjoy video content and a unique viewpoint.
With a €57 million budget, Aquascope is Futuroscope’s largest investment since it was founded in 1987, and has created approximately 100 new jobs. The concept was an instant success and welcomed over 150,000 guests in just six weeks of opening.
In addition, Aquascope has been recognised in the global theme park sector and has received multiple awards such as Best European Attraction at the Parksmania Awards 2024, the Leading Edge Award from the World Waterpark Association, and the THEA Award for Best Water Park.
Recently, Modulo Pi celebrated the launch of ARTEXPLORER, Art Explora Foundation’s travelling festival and the world’s first museum boat. Akumendo and Arscénique collaborated on the IT and AV for this unusual and complicated project, which includes an advanced AV system with an immersive LED tunnel and the Modulo Kinetic media server from Modulo Pi.
