Telefónica Servicios Audiovisuales installs a new virtual studio for Rey Juan Carlos University
URJC university center awarded TSA this project for the supply and installation of equipment for a new HD digital television studio with Aximmetry and Unreal Engine system in the Faculty of Communication Sciences at Madrid-Vicálvaro campus.
Being one of the most relevant study centers in Spain, Madrid Rey Juan Carlos University aims to continue providing quality training to its students, giving the green light to this project in order to have the best possible facilities in the audiovisual area. URJC once again demonstrates its confidence in Telefónica Servicios Audiovisuales to continue improving its technical facilities, after the renovation project of two of its television studios in 2020.
TSA is responsible for the supply, installation, integration and commissioning of all the new equipment in this new studio. All this will be done by TSA’s specialized personnel, to achieve the most significant possible effectiveness and efficiency within two months from the signing of the contract.
One of the main systems incorporated in the new studio is the graphics and augmented reality system Aximmetry+Unreal. Aximmetry is used as a rendering engine and chroma keyer and enables URJC audiovisual lab to perform advanced 3D graphics with 2D/3D rendering in real-time, build scenes or interactive effects using a node-based logic and integrate any studio camera tracking device. In addition, it receives depth information to enable an authentic blending of both real and virtual elements.
On the other hand, this system is completed by the Unreal Engine graphics engine, probably the most powerful game engine on the market, which was originally created for the development of video games, although it is increasingly finding applications outside this sector. This unstoppable expansion is due to its powerful features and advantages: capacity for realism, simplicity in the creation process, an unbeatable treatment of lights, shadows and reflections, a great versatility that allows you to create landscapes, interactive environments or very powerful virtual reality scenarios and, why not say it, its cost.
In order to achieve perfect synchronization in augmented reality, this set is complemented with an absolute positioning system for mounting on cameras, cranes, pedestals and shoulder ENGs, based on the mapping of retroreflective stickers, gyroscopes and accelerometers that allow obtaining tracking data of the zoom, focus, pan and tilt axes for the different types of cameras.
The new studio equipment includes an image capture system consisting of three studio cameras, one handheld and one robotic, together with their corresponding optics, full servo remote control kit, tripods and crane. In addition, a U-shaped endless virtual cyclorama with green chroma key plastic paint is installed to work with the entire virtual system.
Among the other equipment that complete the new virtual studio of Rey Juan Carlos University, are a video matrix that supports all types of signals such as SD-SDI or HD-SDI, a video mixer with a wide range of options for creating professional quality content for operators, two multi-screen monitors, audio desk, Intercom system and two return monitors on set. All this with the aim that the URJC has full HD production control.
A fundamental part of the success of any project, especially if it is related to new technologies, is training, since it can make the difference between success and failure in the operation and usability of a technical solution like this one. This is always an aspect that TSA takes great care in its projects. In this case, the training is oriented so that both teachers and students have thorough knowledge about the functioning, operation and resolution of basic problems within the virtual studio. Thus, TSA provides teachers with the necessary training to obtain all the required skills, with a total of 17 courses, highlighting the 7 courses related to the virtual system: 3D training, scene system, with 3 levels of training, operation of the graphic solution and augmented reality and positioning system.
The project is completed with a 10-year warranty and support service, which will undoubtedly guarantee the correct operation of the different audiovisual systems.