2 new attractions for 2004

[seaboi]

As we all know Shark Bay is due for opening this Easter Holidays, however around the same time or I'd probaly say June will see a new show in Reef Discovery. As Shark Bay will take most of the animals that currently reside in the large tank at Reef Discovery, this will make way for a brand new show/attraction. It is rumored at the moment that it will be turned into a crocodile show, with new theming and only a half full tank. The show will also feature a hologram aparently. Not sure what that means though. Will keep you updated.

[Slick]

Hoorah for SeaWorld.... Street parade anyone? Alright i'm just kidding, and that hologram sounds cool. Basically what happens with that is a projector places an image of someone into thin air without having to project onto a wall etc.

[Gazza]

No, Current technology is not advanced enough to create a hologram in thin air. However there are other ways it can be done but they require an actual display panel, they are.. Glass Hologarm: If you have ever been on skytour at the Sydney Tower or on red hill mine at Sovreign Hill you will have seen this. It basicaly involves projecting an image onto a glass pane. This gives an illusion that the image is in thin air.You can probably bet on this being the one they will use at SW as they will project it onto the tank. Laser Hologram: They have this on display at Questacon in canberra. A laser is bounced off a 3d object an onto a sreen, So when you walk past the object appears 3d inside the screen. However, Because they require actual objects thye are space consuming, And they cannot be animated and because a laser is used, They are not coloured, but rather all blue or green.

[rappa]

Actually just FYI you can animate a laser projection, it involved the use of high speed drive mirror heads. You can also get full colour laser projection. What this involved is pumping the argon laser beam through a series of prisms and reflectors to get the separate colours to make up the RGBAW image. Pretty complex and precision stuff but easily doable. You can also project a hologram through the use of a Fog Screen which involves a carefully fine tuned wall of fog being produced. This technology can be seen in use very effectively on the Indiana Jones ride at DL. It is used to produce a cobweb which the ride vehicle ultimately travels through. Not being able to create a projection in thin air is not really a matter of technology, its simple physics. It will never be possible to project an image into an empty space (mid air) because there is simply nothing for the light to bounce off meaning it will just keep travelling until it does find something, invisible to the eye. The way we achieve 'mid air' beams with lighting is to fill the air with a thin 'haze.' This usually consists of vaporised oil particles or super heated glycol fluid at high pressure. This produced sufficient air born particles for the light to bounce off whilst still enabling it to travel, thus producing a beam of light. Fun stuff huh :-) ...and people say forums aren't educational!

[Slick]

Actually, thanks to my 2 years ahead knowledge about the subject, you can project something into mid-air, but at a price. Bascically Joz said that the beam will keep travelling but actually what they can do is project multiple lasers certain distances and... and..... oh i'm buggered...... It's 8:00 and i've spent too many nights playing Desertcombat on Cogs. Bye.

[rappa]

Well Slick I don't know what your 2 years was spent doing but my guess is it was pretty much wasted. If you re-read my above post you will see that it is in fact NOT possible to do what you are suggesting. A laser is just a high intensity beam of light, therefore still has to obey the laws of physics pertaining to light. I work in this industry everyday and trust me if one could simply project in mid air I'd be a very happy man but its just not gonna happen. The problem isn't the light source its the air!

[Slick]

Let me give you an example of what I mean... You know how you can get those glass cubes with a laser cut image inside? That's it. It's a similar technology, they use a laser in this instance to guide to a certain point then cut the laser off. It's sounds a bit weird but look it up. Be amused.

[rappa]

Yes I totally agree on the laser cutting thing, that's easily done. You just vary the intensity of the laser for the depth of cut you want. This works because you are hitting an object, glass. This doesn't translate to the 'mid air' application because there is nothing for you to hit, simple of that. There is nothing for the light to refract off enabling you to see an image. The laser will just travel forever until it fades off into nothing.

[Slick]

And what was our original subject :x

[Gazza]

Maybe they might do that tequnique, but do it in water to make stuff appear, like a cartoon caracter or something to intergrate with the show.

[joz]

Bascically Joz said that the beam will keep travelling but actually what they can do is project multiple lasers certain distances and...

I said what? Oh well, sounds like a cool idea anyway. The idea of an indoor crocodile enclosure does sound a touch weird though, unless that's part of the re-themeing?

[Richard]

Anyone know the reason for the delays with Shark Bay (I mean aside from the fact that they started too late, and the "bad weather")? How's the structure looking? I can't imagine it's too far from at least appearing complete. Trouble securing enough sharks to make it worth while, or is Johnny just waiting until he gets his Great White to open it?

[Gazza]

An indoor crocodile enclosure isnt too far fetched, I have visited an animal sanctuary with indoor crocodlie displays, Its not like they put in a massive croc like Steve Irwin wrestles. Just little fresh water ones no more thain 1/2 a meter long. Edit: I just realised something, Using a laser projection tequnique like for those glass cubes wouldnt work. It takes a machine the size of a fridge to produce the lasers for glass cube production. Imagine how big it would need to be to make an image big enough for a crowd full of people to see at once. Im aware that the power of lasers wouldnt need to be as strong, but the laser unit would still be very big indeed.