Fogscreen: projecting images in the air

Finnish company FogScreen has begun volume production of its unique walk-through projection screen. The FogScreen Inia screen projects high-quality images onto a thin laminar air flow of water vapour. The FogScreen feels dry and cool to the touch and accordingly creates an effect of the computer generated images floating in thin air and can hence be used in the development of special effects displays and airborne advertising media, walk-through or drive-through posters and is expected to be used as a high impact advertising medium in malls, airports and mass audience events. There have already been enquiries from Hollywood production companies and "we expect the creative possibilities will inspire those in entertainment," said Nancy Gretzinger of Fogscreen's US distributor Imagex. "Beyond that, we are also looking at point-of-sale advertising, corporate lobbies, and other areas that could benefit from the innovative communication," she said.

"FogScreen is now available for sale and rent at trade shows, upmarket events, and anywhere else you want to add excitement and mystery to a presentation or interior!" said Gretzinger (Imagexinc).

A recent innovation added to the package is interactivity, making it possible to draw in the air using an array of visual effects such as fiery characters or fireworks.

With the product now in volume production, the lead time for buying a unit has dropped to one month for the FogScreen Inia model with a screen size of 1.5m x 2m.

FogScreen has been a consistent winner of European invention and innovation prizes in the last 12 months, most recently being chosen as a finalist in the prestigious IST prize (http://www.ist-prize.org) awarded for European innovations with most business potential and technical excellence among other things. The European IST Prize is organized by the European Council of Applied Sciences, Technologies and Engineering, with the sponsorship and support of the Information Society Technologies Programme of the European Commission. Fogscreen has also been a winner or finalist in another three awards, highlighting the ingenuity of the invention.

Cruise ship line, Celebrity Cruises, is using FogScreen in their new central attraction, "The Bar at the Edge of the Earth", created by the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil.

Every evening, in the top deck lounges of the line's Constellation and Summit ships, guests are invited to pass through a mystical gateway (created with FogScreen) and enter a world of wonder. A world bathed in luminescent light, pulsating sounds and mesmerizing visual effects. Specialty drinks and hors d'oeuvres found nowhere else add to this surreal atmosphere. This whole unique entertainment experience is currently available on select Caribbean sailings aboard Constellation and Summit with additional ships in the planning stages.

Units have now been sold to USA, Japan, Germany, Finland and Russia and the company has exclusive distributors in Germany and Japan, and dealers in the USA and South Korea. Distribution agencies for Fogscreen are available in all other countries

The FogScreen Inia costs around 95,000 Euros including freight and installation.