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Quantum of the Seas sets sail with digital signage

From 100-inch digital signage screens mounted on robotic arms to digital signage virtual balconies, Royal Caribbean's latest floating palace is setting sail with the technology.

December 30, 2014

While the Quantum of the Seas may sound like a new book by Stephen Hawking, it's actually the latest cruise ship from Royal Caribbean, packed with high-tech wizardry aimed at wowing passengers — including a wealth of digital signage technology.

As the first in a line of Quantum Class cruise ships, these "Smartships" are meant to target a younger demographic and are loaded with technology such as indoor skydiving; high-speed, always-on Wi-Fi; smartphone app travel management; standing wave surfing; and smart tracking technology that can predict passengers' preferences as they move around the ship.

The signature venue on each ship is Two70°, a multilevel great room named for its 270-degree panoramic sea views through vast, floor-to-ceiling glass walls spanning almost three decks at the stern of the ship. That same grand vista can be transformed into a gigantic "Vistarama" screen that stretches more than 30 meters long (100 feet) and 6 meters tall (20 feet). With projection mapping digital signage technology at a 12K resolution, it provides a backdrop to the variety of dynamic entertainment that occurs on the transforming stage in front of it.

At the center of the Two70° entertainment spectacle is the RoboScreen entertainment system, created by Robotic Arts and featuring six ABB IRB 6620 robots mounted to an 8,200 kilogram (18,000 pound) capacity gantry with custom 100-inch Daktronics LED digital signage screens affixed to them. This combination of robots and screens lets the RoboScreens become performers of a sort themselves, interacting with the dancers, acrobats and singers in the stage show.

"The RoboScreens transcend all age groups," said Andy Flessas, creative director and founder of Robotic Arts, in an announcement from ABBRobotics. "A lot of what I do is targeted at specific age groups, but on board the Quantum of the Seas, I've seen that everyone from 8-year-olds to 88-year-olds is transfixed by the robotic performance. They are unlocking this potential that taps into a deep human desire to see futuristic and interesting things."

Watch a video about the Two70° robot screens below:

But the Vistarama and the RoboScreens are just the showstoppers, digital signage also is making the most of the sea cruise for those passengers with interior rooms on the ship. Those passengers would normally be denied a view of the sea outside the ship, but the Quantum's "Virtual Balconies" — 4K digital signage screens that replace actual windows and balconies, showing video feeds from cameras placed around the ship — make it seem as though they're in a deckside stateroom.

Watch a video on the balconies below: