Product innovations
The LOBO Laser Truck
Laser technology for mobile use is also available "ready-to-use" in a container. LOBO electronic from Aalen has developed the Laser Truck for this purpose.
The Laser Truck is based on two waterproof and highly durable 16 tons standard containers, equipped with the most advanced laser and multimedia technology currently on the market. In addition to two LACON-3 plus real-time animation computers, this includes four RGB color mixing units for more than 16 million colors each and four laser projectors with an astonishing light output of 57 Watts in total.
Accordingly, LOBO has every right to claim that it has developed the world’s largest mobile laser system. The applications of the truck cover a similarly wide range. Most often, it can be found at gigantic open-airs or at fairs. As standard containers are used, the whole system can be transported by truck, boat and rail to even the most remote locations on earth.
On muddy access roads, the Laser Truck was even transported on the loading bed of military vehicles in order to stage a laser show in front of more than 400,000 spectators at an open-air concert in Poland.
Additionally, the waterproof cover provides optimal protection against weather influences such as rain, storms, cold or heat. With an A/C unit, the devices have an optimal operating temperature in both summer and winter. Normally, the container can be set down in about ten minutes and connected to electricity and water in about 30 minutes..
In general, fine-tuning of the show and adjustment of the projection scanners take another 20 minutes, so that the show can start after a total of about an hour. Normally, the Laser Truck is set up to work with two lasers, two RGB color mixing units and two scanners. However, a lot more technology is installed in the container for reasons of operational safety. LOBO’s Head of Development explains: “We have set up the entire equipment in duplicate. This redundancy was quite important to us.”
In order to accommodate even the most complex spatial requirements, compact external projectors can be used alternatively, to which laser light is transmitted via fiber optic cables. Thus, laser shows on smaller fair booths or in a distance of several hundred meters to the truck are no problem at all. In this context, the fact that no interference with the building structure is required to stage shows in listed buildings – such as for an event in the recently renovated concert hall in Karlsruhe – is another important aspect.
For LOBO’s engineers, it was important that the Laser Truck would form an enclosed, fully self-sufficient system.
All connections for power, control and sound signals can be tapped from an external plug-in panel. This increases both operational security as well as flexibility of the system.
For example, at the Olympic Games in Barcelona it was necessary to set up a laser projector in a large distance to the truck. Due to the long cable route, the usage of fiber optics was no feasible alternative. Without further ado, a compact projection unit with integrated laser was used, which could be directly connected to the truck’s plug-in panel without any large-scale remodeling.
In addition to laser equipment, everything required for a multivision show is available. This includes video recorders, motorized screens, large outdoor effect mirrors, fog generators, wind generators, pyrotechnics, mixing desks, a full 30 kW PA system with delay towers and much more. The parts list has a total length of 15 pages.
The entire technology is controlled via two transputer-based LACON-3 plus computers. With its open system architecture, LACON-3 plus can not only integrate projectors and the usual peripherals, but all kinds of devices and effects, including large fireworks displays, into a computer-controlled laser show in sync with the music.
A full aluminum traverse system is housed in the supply container, on which various motorized screens with a projection surface of up to 11 x 14 m can be mounted.
For larger events – such as the official celebrations on occasion of Turkey’s 75th anniversary in front of ca. 80,000 spectators in Ankara – an outdoor Water Screen can be used alternatively.
What financial expenses do clients have to expect when using the Laser Truck? Depending on the application, the prices for renting the Laser Truck, including transportation, assembly and disassembly, start at [80,000 DM] for the first day. A conventional set-up of a comparable system would require a significantly higher budget. Furthermore, the Laser Truck also offers a maximum of operational safety and investment protection.
CEO Lothar Bopp: “When we developed the Laser Truck four years ago with an investment volume of 2.5 million, the anxious question was raised whether this sum would ever be amortized. However, today we can see that the thought-out concept of the truck and its high degree of reliability have convinced large swathes of our traditional customer stock and also opened entirely new markets for us.”
In addition to its rental options, where the Laser Truck only covers the top range of services, LOBO also has additional services – from the conception with storyboard and soundtrack creation up to the planning and execution of entire multimedia shows – on offer. LOBO has also made substantial investments in this field and operates three production studios with state-of-the-art laser, slide and video technology.
An expansion into multimedia? For LOBO, once only offering laser hardware, this is no longer a question!
Application examples of the Laser Truck:
40 Years of Baden-Württemberg
Open air tour through the state’s eight largest cities in front of up to 40,000 spectators per event.
Istanbul 2000
Outdoor laser show at the Bosporus on the occasion of Istanbul’s bid to host the Olympic Games 2000.
Chacamo L'Arts
Full-length multimedia spectacle with waltzing waters and laser in tune with classical and modern music.
Olympic Games 92, Barcelona, Spain
Germany’s official cultural contribution to the Olympic Games 1992 in the heart of Barcelona.
75 Years of Turkey, Ankara
Official event on the occasion of 75 Years of Turkey in front of the parliamentary buildings in Ankara with water, video and fireworks in front of ca. 140,000 visitors on location and millions of TV viewers at home.
Rain of Gold
Fireworks and laser in front of a historic backdrop with more than 400,000 spectators in Poland.
Offerta Karlsruhe
Symphony of laser, water, fog and sounds in the Karlsruhe Concert Hall for visitors of the exhibition Offerta 95‘.
State Art Weeks
Creation of moving stage designs made from laser light in an open air theater.
Family Days of the Bavarian Broadcasting Service
Open air laser show as highlight of the three-day-long event Family Days of the Bavarian Broadcasting Service in the Olympic Park in Munich.
Media Days Munich
Open air in front of advertisers and media professionals with a floating Water Screen in the English Garden in Munich.
Culture Delta South
Projection of a triangle made from laser beams with an edge length of 14 km above a city.
AMICA
Presentation of the women’s magazine AMICA in Hamburg with laser, video and pyrotechnics in front of 2,500 selected guests.
