Ramaiah Institute of Technology (RIT) – from the famed MS Ramaiah Group of Institutions – needs no introduction. A NAAC ‘A’-certified institution, ranked 4th amongst top engineering colleges in Karnataka, the RIT is like a part of academic folklore for higher education and technology learning in Karnataka. In tune with its reputation, the institution recently set-up a very sophisticated e-Leaning Centre as a post-pandemic initiative to facilitate online certification and weekend online courses for students.
Bengaluru-based AV systems integrator Hansa Pictures (AV concern of Hansa Group) had the pride of setting up the advanced e-learning facility.
An SIA report:
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With COVID-19 ushering in a paradigm shift in the way people communicated, transacted, and learned, many a domain have devised their own way of ‘contactless interactive processes’ to forge ahead of the pandemic impacts.
MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology is one classic example of how audio-visual technologies can help academia reach out to their students; continue to engage them and impart education via advanced e-Learning set-ups.
The RIT administration – while wanting a space that could simultaneously run online teaching and recording – contemplated setting up a ‘studio’ like facility that could enable distance learning. Its’ first go at the solution vendors took them to Bengaluru-based Leksa Lighting Technologies who quickly realized it wasn’t their domain expertise, and took the Team RIT to their business partner Hansa Pictures.
Analysing the requirement and provisions, Hansa proposed setting up a dedicated studio, culling out a space by combining two departments of MBA and MCA. They took the RIT team through a walk-through 3D presentation that made a compelling effect on the thinking of the prospective client.
“The Principal, and Heads of respective departments visited some of our client places, and took their feedback before asking us for a detailed presentation of the intended solution,” informs Gautam N Shah, Head-Projects (AV, & Acoustics), at Hansa. “We developed the walk-through 3D in three days, and the expertise we demonstrated through it had landed us the project.”
Interestingly, another Hansa Group’s concern Styleworks contributed its expertise in interiors and overall ambience of the finished space to make it all the more compelling environment.
Hansa actually proposed two designs- one, with a reference window over-looking both the studios, and second with the control room being away. The latter design got selected as the Principal liked the way it was rendered.
While the integrator landed the project, and won the client’s confidence to set-up the intended e-learning centre, it wasn’t that easy doing it. For, it came with a set of challenges of acoustics. Since the facility was part of a huge concrete establishment, it had a high reverberation which was in turn compounded by as many as five large windows.
The challenge was truly potential in that the integrator had to work while the regular academics were normally going on all around. For that sheer reason, devising the proposed space with clinical precision acoustics, and that too within three months of time was a strenuous and exerting job.
“We commenced work in May, and handed over the site to the client in August,” informs Gautam.
The AV Solution:
The space thus came up is a uniquely designed studio with two recoding rooms. The bigger room is equipped with a Hyundai interactive panel, and a motorised chroma screen, while the smaller studio has only the interactive panel for video, apart from the audio.
Hansa chose Data Video to play a central part to the whole AV architecture. It is networked to connect with Samsung displays for video, Sonodyne speakers, beyerdynamic and Sennheiser microphones for audio, Behringer mixer, Pixeless motorized screen, and pixelate automated switcher.
“Data Video has been the market leader for broadcast and professional video requirements,” endorses the Hansa Project-Head. “They have constantly kept innovating; the quality of video, recording, ease of use, and portability factor have been our key driving forces.”
According to him, the video switcher installed has a built in monitor so the need for separate preview, and the need for programme monitors is eliminated- making the Control Room less cluttered. The switcher is packed with features of on board recording, live streaming & seamless switching.
The newly designed space, thus, had a complete 3D render in place with measurements for accurate execution which included furniture, data and power points, AV equipments, lights, air-con, fire alarm, placement of the DB panel etc.
Keeping in view the youthful age factor of the users, a careful colour code was also employed. Right from the signage, to the ceiling colours, flooring, furniture, everything was colour co-ordinated in such a way that it blends with the ambience, and does not look tacky.
Lighting was another key feature. There are two unique types of lights used in the studio. When the presenter’s video being recorded including the presentation on the interactive panel, the lights’ shadow does not fall on the screen, and the lights do not hit the presenter in the eye. They are uniformly illuminating the space, making the presenter look pleasant and bright.
The video switchers are compact, feature-rich, and similar to the ones used in the industry.
The space thus designed is a state of the art distance learning centre with possibilities for Hybird classes, Live streaming, soft codec VC, recording and archiving. It facilitates simultaneous conductance of teaching sessions by both MBA and MCA departments without being disturbed.
