RoboSpots solution on Wonder of the Seas
- Details
The four RoboSpot BaseStations in the Main Theatre will be controlling eight Forte moving lights from Robe, each running in conjunction with four motion cameras. Meanwhile, the two BaseStations in the ice rink will be used with four Esprite LED Profiles.
This installation builds on the success of RoboSpots installed as a remote follow spotting solution in the Two70 venue aboard Royal Caribbean’s Odyssey of the Seas, which commenced service in 2021.
The Wonder Main Theatre show will be an all-singing, all-dancing Broadway-style production, complete with aerialists, drones, and complex automated scenery, with lighting designed by Rui Rita.
Project managing the vessel’s show lighting installations for Royal Caribbean was Ben Couling, who worked closely on Wonder of the Seas with Gaëtan Mornet of cruise AV integration specialist, Videlio-HMS from St. Nazaire which completed the installation.
The relationship between Royal Caribbean and Robe started when Miami-based Christopher Vlassopulos, Royal Caribbean’s sound, light, and AV systems manager for new build projects, and Amir El Yordi from Control AV Miami visited the Robe booth at LDI 2019, whilst Odyssey was already under construction.
For the Wonder Main Theatre, the RoboSpot BaseStations and operators are concealed from view on catwalks above the lighting rig, but the space is flexibly designed, and thanks to a comprehensive IP network, the BaseStations, consoles, and other essential hardware can be brought into the house and seating areas to be closer to the stage for tech and rehearsal periods.
Ben explains that with all the main production shows being SMPTE timecoded, utilising this system, the LD can control the size, colour and intensity of the follow spots and then also program the ins and outs into the console. “This is particularly useful for consistency as the shows can run for five plus years with many different operators.”
