mondo technology in entertainment January/February 2007

A series of installations on cruise ships and even on a private yacht over the last few years, have helped to establish south-Germanybased laser special ist LOBO as one ofthe premium suppliers of laser systems for sea vessels.

In November 2005, shipping company Costa launched their flagship Magica, complete with a laser installation by LOBO, who also worked on Magica's sister ship the Fortuna, the Mediterranea, the Concordia and the Serena. According to Costa, they are the largest, most modern cruise ships in the Mediterranean. Each of the 272m long sea hotels weighs 105,000 tons and can accommodate 3,470 passengers.

Magica's leisure and entertainment facilities were especially important to Costa, and the hull of the ship houses a theatre for over 1,000 guests. Every evening the theatre stages a production featuring an intricate laser system supplied by LOBO. LOBO installed three maintenance-free laser projectors controlled by LACON -5 workstations. Magica also features LOBO's latest laser moving head ZAPHIR. The layout of the control system allows a completely independent operation of the laser system and also permits external control via DMX, time code, Ethernet or RS-232. Project manager Richard Pollak said on cruise ships it is essential to use hardwearing, reliable equipment. "Continuous duty between the polar seas and the tropics, as well as the constant movements of the hull, which is common with ships of this size, place the highest demands on the equipment," he said. "As the ship cruises far weeks far away from any servicing facility, each component of the onboard equipment has to be totally reliable, even in extreme situations."

LOBO offered Costa an all -in -one package, with customised technical solutions, 24 hours service, and the individual production of complex show programs created by the award winning LOBO design team. Costa's Entertainment Manager said he was glad they chose to use LOBO lasers. "The laser shows are greatly appreciated by our guests," he said. "From our side I must say it is a very nice system, extremely user friendly and very easy and efficient to maintain."

Other cruise companies who have used LOBO lasers include Celebrity Cruises, who have the lasers on three of their ships, and Carnival Cruises, who have a network of laser projectors supplied via glass fibres from one central laser system mounted in the centre of the ship. These lasers dazzle guests in the show lounge. the pool deck, and above the bow, where search beams dance across the ocean waves.

The Queen Mary 2, formerly the largest cruise ship ever built, also carries a DMX-controlled LOBO laser system.

LOBO president Lothar Bopp is happy with the firm's record for cruise ship installations, and has plans for more sea craft installations in the future.

"Large cruise ships aren't everything," he said. "Just a few days ago we received the order, far a laser system ta be installed on the largest private yacht ever built, equal in every way with laser installation on the large cruise ships."