Brazil. Urânia Fulldome, a pioneer in educational technology in Brazil, is transforming the way students across the country learn about astronomy through its innovative project "O planetário móvel vai às escolas" (The mobile planetarium goes to schools).
This ambitious initiative brings immersive 360-degree educational films directly to schools in different states in Brazil, using mobile domes equipped with Christie's Inspire Series 1DLP® laser projectors.
The 13 mobile inflatable domes, measuring 7 meters in diameter and 3.8 meters in height, are touring Brazil in trucks, visiting various schools throughout the country. The aim is to encourage the interest of the school community in astronomy and related sciences.
Each portable planetarium is equipped with a single 8,500-lumen Christie 4K860-iS 4K UHD projector, offering a fully immersive viewing experience for up to 60 students sitting on tatami mats on the floor. With several sessions throughout the day, each dome has the capacity to serve up to 600 students daily. The dome construction, made of a synthetic fabric designed specifically for Urânia, allows for quick and easy assembly, inflating in a matter of minutes.
Since the launch of the project, one million students have had the opportunity to experience the wonder of the cosmos through these films in Full HD and 4K, making complex astronomical concepts accessible and engaging for young minds.
"The Christie 4K860-iS projectors have been an essential component of our mobile planetariums," says Tiago José da Silva, CEO of Urânia Fulldome. "These devices are not only powerful, compact and flexible, but also rugged enough to withstand the demanding conditions of being assembled and dismantled on a daily basis, and the demands of the road. Their reliability and ease of use are critical to the success of our project."
In addition to their durability, Urânia Fulldome highlights the accessibility of these projectors in Brazil, thanks to Christie's local distributor, SolutionShop. Tiago José da Silva adds: "Finding projectors of this caliber in Brazil is not always easy, but Christie, through SolutionShop, provided us with easy access and in excellent conditions, which allowed us to bring this unique educational experience to students from all over the country."
In addition to her program in schools, Urânia Fulldome also contributed to the International Olympiad of Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA), held in the state of Rio de Janeiro in August 2024. For one of the event's sessions, the company provided three of its mobile planetariums, each equipped with a Christie Inspire Series projector, to provide a memorable experience for participating students. The IOAA, an annual competition for high school students from around the world, attracted 250 young people from 57 countries this year. The students were very impressed with the quality of the projections and the immersive films presented in the domes, recalls Tiago José da Silva.
The Christie Inspire Series 1DLP laser projectors are a professional-grade solution ideal for a variety of applications, from boardrooms to classrooms and museums. They offer WUXGA or 4K UHD resolution, 24/7 operation, an IP5X-rated dust-resistant optical engine, and quiet operation, making them a cost-effective choice for high-quality visual displays in small to medium environments.
