Commercial Integrator discusses the outdoor LED kiosks at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex with Jason Helton, executive vice president of SNA Displays.
This article was authored by Taylor Morgan and originally appeared in Commercial Integrator. We have reproduced it here with some additional images for readers of Limelight: The SNA Blog.
Space is a mysterious territory that has captured the imagination of humans for centuries. And the Kennedy Space Center is a beacon of American ingenuity and bravery, serving as a pivotal scientific hub that launches dozens of rockets into the final frontier. The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is a dynamic museum and interactive park where people can learn about the vastness of space and the pioneering efforts of NASA.
Huge, Curved LED Spectacular
One aspect of the park called for an enhancement, though: its video presence. The huge, 98-foot, curved LED spectacular known as the Entry Experience has certainly gotten the lion’s share of attention for these upgrades, and for good reason. With its educational, stop-and-look anamorphic content and its beautiful design, the SNA Displays installation is a marvel in and of itself.
What gets less attention, but which is equally noteworthy, is the Visitor Complex’s pair of new LED kiosks. Typically, digital kiosks consist of a single LCD panel, which, when overheated, can warp and become distorted. The previous kiosks at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex were no exception. According to SNA Displays’ executive vice president, Jason Helton, “In the Cape Canaveral, Fla., area, with all the rain and saltwater, there was a lot of bubbling in the glass on the LCDs that couldn’t handle the heat and didn’t have the NIT output that was necessary for success.” LED panels, by contrast, do have the necessary brightness and now offer a tight enough pixel pitch to handle kiosk applications. They merge a series of individual panels to create a more responsive, weather-resistant screen. What’s more, Helton explains that LED technology’s greater brightness as compared to LCD makes LED a far superior option for outdoor directories and displays of this kind. They remain crisp, clear, and easy to read, even in direct sunlight — which Florida has plenty of!
sidebar: LED Kiosks Weathered the Storm
This past October, Hurricane Milton swept through the Kennedy Space Center with the same intensity it inflicted on the rest of Florida, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. The Entry Experience, a ground-level LED spectacular at the park’s Visitor Complex, remained standing and fully functional, a testament to SNA Displays’ weather-resistance assurances and the structural engineering meant to safeguard the massive display from Florida’s hurricane-force winds.
In fact, the nearby LED kiosks perfectly weathered the storm, also a true testament to the durability of LED panels.
The LED manufacturer’s executive vice president, Jason Helton, explains that the kiosks “took the full brunt of the hurricane and the winds, and still, there was not a single service issue.” That means they “[fulfilled] the purpose of this display technology: to be able to withstand and last in these rugged environments, particularly in coastal areas like Florida.” The lack of damage to the panels underlines the 10- to 12-year lifetime of the product.
Harsh weather conditions, such as hurricanes, earthquakes and intense sun exposure, are not uncommon. Thus, when investing in a piece of technology, the reassurance of true weather durability can be invaluable. The LED video technology on display at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex serves to reassure integrators and commercial clients that they can invest in long-term digital signage solutions. If the panels can survive a hurricane, they can survive nearly anything.
Attractive SNA Displays LED Display Kiosks
When people walk into the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex now, they’re met with attractive LED display kiosks by SNA Displays, immediately guiding guests through their journey. Helton expresses his excitement about the new displays, touting the huge impact on the visitor experience. The content on the digital screens is purpose-built and can constantly be changed to reflect the Kennedy Space Center’s goals. Because they employ a 3.9mm pixel pitch, which is very tight for outdoor LED applications, the kiosks share fine details like small text and colorful images with crystal clarity that engages the audience within feet of them entering the park. Not only are these screens bright and lively, equipped with anti-glare technology, but they’re also ready to withstand Florida weather.
LED panels’ readiness to keep environmental elements at bay obviated the need for protective glass that can warp or break. “At the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, we gutted the LCD panels and were able to keep the LED panels exposed,” Helton explains. “And not having warped glass protection is essential. With exterior pixel pitches being down to 1.2mm, LED kiosks provide amazing clarity without the pitfalls of LCD.”
Previous LCD kiosks
We’ve already alluded to some of the competitive differentiators that distinguish LED from LCD. Another consideration is that LCD applications are hindered by bezel and scalability drawbacks. An LED canvas, however, can fill an indoor or outdoor space seamlessly with dynamic imagery and bright, vivid colors. This creates a showpiece that demands attention and makes a statement.
LED is also completely customizable, breaking free from the constraints of one-size LCD panels. As Helton puts it, “Not only are LCDs limited in terms of scalability, as previously discussed, but LCDs are, with very few exceptions, restricted to basic shapes such as rectangles. This inflexible shape and [the] unsightly bezels make it difficult for designers to adapt LCDs to a given environment.”
Space is the Limit for Customization
SNA Displays strongly emphasizes customizing LED kiosks with its integrator partners. “We have over 500 in-house engineers,” Helton declares. “So, we focus on custom engineering. We thrive on design and imagination. If someone can dream it, we can build it.” This applies to brand-new kiosks and reimagining what formerly had been LCD kiosks.
For brand-new kiosks, the sky is obviously the limit. To revamp an existing kiosk, many possibilities exist. SNA Display’s in-house engineers work with the integrator partner to determine how an existing LCD kiosk can receive an LED makeover without building a new structure. They can remove the inside panels, use some of the existing hardware, and replace the panel and glass with an LED panel. SNA Displays also has certain LED modules that are manufactured in a very specific size and orientation to perfectly match common LCD panel sizes Because retrofitting exterior LCD kiosks to LED is relatively simple, AV integrators can pick up new business easily and make extra revenue off of this application.
“For integrators, having the option to bring this new technology to their clients and retrofit an existing box, without starting from scratch, is a huge selling point,” Helton explains. “The ability to re-use much of the existing back-end technology and frames to work with new LED technology can remove the end user’s fear of ‘starting over.’”
Extending the Lifetime of a Display
Additionally, Helton explains that LED technology provides up to double the lifetime as compared to LCD. “Businesses are getting a 10- to 12-year lifetime with LED applications,” he says, “whereas, with the LCD applications, they would be lucky if it lasts five to six years.” Helton continues, “And one of the main problems is in year five, when someone would have to swap the LCD panel. Since it is a singular panel, the dimensions must match exactly.”
Indeed, one of the most vexing problems with LCD panels is that securing replacements can be costly at best and impossible at worst. There is simply no guarantee that the LCD panel would be available in the exact measurements some five years later. (That is, if the panel lasts that long without warping or shattering.) This creates an unnecessary risk for businesses, especially if parts are unavailable and the entire kiosk must be rebuilt. Because LED displays can be built into existing frames, switching is the most logical strategy.
Helton underlines that, when a portion of an LED display fails, clients like the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex won’t need to replace the entire display. Instead, the integrator will pop out a panel and replace it in minutes — something that is impossible with LCD technology. What’s more, SNA Displays has enhanced the tech support side of LED panels. Not only do they provide warranty and support but also diagnostics. According to Helton, the company’s engineers “can see down to the individual panel level to read the temperature inside the cavity and see the voltage remotely. We can adjust color and run various diagnostics on the backend. So, from a support and service standpoint, our integrator partners can complete a project and remotely keep an eye on the technology.”
SNA Displays’ Service and Support Underpins LED Kiosks
SNA Displays’ service and support gives integrators confidence that the product they’re selling and installing will have a long, successful lifespan. And that’s not even to mention that, according to SNA Displays’ website, LEDs’ brightness, color processing, typical power consumption, etc., all outperform that of LCDs.
SNA Displays is recognized as an industry leader in digital screen technology, creating cutting-edge display systems found not only at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex but also in amusement parks, museums, sports arenas, shopping centers and other A-class venues of all kinds. Through innovation, customization and robust support, SNA Displays has created a comprehensive kiosk design that befits the endless wonder of space.
These innovative LED kiosks can not only withstand natural elements but also deliver an immersive and unforgettable experience for visitors to the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, aptly honoring the center’s mission to teach the next generation about the mysterious world far above.