As part of Wybron's Infotrace feedback system, Infogate enables lighting equipment on board Independence of the Seas to talk back to its operators using the industry-standard two-way communication protocol Remote Device Management, or RDM. It constantly monitors the equipment, keeping an eye on any problems or maintenance issues.
"We can track scroller wear and tear, what strings are in which scrollers, identify each fixture individually and basically track how the rig is holding up," says lighting technician Michael Calder, who's now headed to Royal Caribbean's Liberty of the Seas - another Infogate ship.
Independence of the Seas launched in April 2008 as the world's biggest cruise ship. Weighing a staggering 160,000 tons and extending the length of three American football fields, it can carry nearly 4,000 passengers and 1,400 crew within its 15 decks. It spends the summer months cruising the waters around the UK and Europe, then heads to the Caribbean for the winter.
The ship has two Infogate systems - one in the main theatre and the other in the ship's ice skating rink.
For more on the Independence of the Seas see the July/August 2008 issue of Lighting&Sound magazine.
(Jim Evans)
