Südwest Presse 05 November 2013

The Aalen-based company Lobo is among the giants of the international laser show industry
The laser specialists from Lobo Electronic from Aalen develop shows for throne jubilees or the Asian Games. Currently, the world’s largest laser show conference is held in South Germany.
STEFAN LOEFFLER
Aalen. Las Vegas, Hong Kong, Moscow. When the members of the international umbrella organization ILDA (International Laser Display Association) met for their previous annual conferences, colorful beams glittered in the skies above major metropolises. Until tomorrow, the international laser experts are now meeting on the Ostalb.
“In the end, it is only logical that we are this year’s hosts of arguably the largest laser show meeting in the world. After all, Lobo electronic GmbH is one of the laser show industry’s leading manufacturers and service providers,” Lothar Bopp notes proudly. Over 30 years ago, he founded his company while still studying precision engineering at the University of Aalen. In the beginning, he equipped discotheques within Germany with laser systems. But the company, which today has 30 employees, grew quickly and soon received the first orders from abroad. “For this reason, we stayed in Aalen, as it was quite difficult to relocate a growing company.” Furthermore, Aalen offers a significant advantage: “Many of our employees are graduates of the University of Aalen, just like me.” Today, Bopp and his team captivate audiences in 75 countries with laser shows, including in amusement parks, cinemas or even with theater productions on cruise ships. For larger productions, such as the 40th throne jubilee of the sultan of Oman, the medium-sized business expands its project team with external specialists to up to 60 members. The laser show at the Asian Games 2006 in Qatar was a highlight for the company: “During a light spectacle with 3.4 billion people watching on TV, there is absolutely no room for errors.” The company generates 70 percent of its annual turnover, just short of 10 million Euros, with the sale and installation of laser systems, the remaining 30 percent with events. A good laser show includes a visual mix of video sequences, three-dimensional projections onto water screens, as well as the use of scent generators and vibrating floors.
Often, pioneering work was done in the Robert-Bosch-Straße in Aalen, which is why Bopp certainly considers himself to be a trendsetter of the industry: “The solutions we develop in our studios often become a standard later on.”
For Bopp, being faster, better and stronger than his competitors is not enough. Lobo electronic GmbH relies on sustainable solutions: In the past, the systems with a weight of up to one ton required 80 000 Watts of power and 40 liters of cooling water per minute. Today, the air-cooled devices with a weight of 300 kg only require 800 Watt. Hence, laser technology has become environmentally friendly.