Enhanced powerdome Software for ZEISS planetariums

ZEISS presented the software ZEISS powerdome IV for the first time at this year’s meeting of the German Speaking Planetarium Association in Laupheim, Germany (28.-30.04.2018). With the enhanced software version, ZEISS offers its customers far-reaching presentations from the brilliant night sky on Earth to journeys through the solar system and the Milky Way to the limits of the observable universe.

ZEISS has been investing in digital projection solutions for star theatres since the turn of the millennium. “ZEISS is the only supplier to offer its customers complete solutions combining optical-mechanical planetarium projectors and digital fulldome systems from one hand”, say Martin Kraus, Head of the ZEISS Planetarium Division. For these systems, known as Hybrid Planetariums, the software for synchronous control and common optical and digital representation plays a special role. “While the starry sky shines in lifelike beauty by means of the planetarium projector, video projectors take over the exact superimposition of constellation figures, astronomical objects and the visualization of the universe as a whole, to name a few”, says Kraus. Part of the new software is a 3D planetarium with numerous astronomical databases, which serves to visualize the observable universe.

With the latest HEVC video codec and the extended color depth, ZEISS powerdome IV also ensures improved image quality. The software components enable the simulation of atmospheric effects such as clouds, rain, northern lights and rainbows. The software recognizes images of celestial objects with astronomical metadata and automatically places them in the correct position in the starry sky. With the telescope function, planetarium visitors can view these objects enlarged, so to speak at close range.

For particularly demanding installations, ZEISS powerdome IV also enables stereo projection with a particularly high resolution of more than 50 million pixels (8k). The Science City planetarium in Kolkata, India, will be one of the first facilities to work with ZEISS powerdome IV. This year, the planetarium will commission a ZEISS fulldome system with 8k stereo projection.

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. The ZEISS Group develops, produces and distributes measuring technology, microscopes, medical technology, eyeglass lenses, camera and cinema lenses, binoculars and semiconductor manufacturing equipment. With its solutions, the company constantly advances the world of optics and helps shape technological progress. ZEISS is divided up into the four segments Research & Quality Technology, Medical Technology, Vision Care/Consumer Products and Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology. The ZEISS Group is represented in more than 40 countries and has over 50 sales and service locations, more than 30 manufacturing sites and about 25 research and development centers around the globe.

In fiscal year 2016/17 the company generated revenue approximating €5.3 billion with more than 27,000 employees. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. Carl Zeiss AG is the strategic management holding company that manages the ZEISS Group. The company is wholly owned by the Carl Zeiss Stiftung (Carl Zeiss Foundation).

Further information at www.zeiss.com

At the Jena site all four segments are represented by the Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Medical Technology and Microscopy business groups, the Planetariums unit and the Central Research area of ZEISS. Jena is also the headquarters of the central service company for the production operations of the ZEISS Group. ZEISS employs more than 2,000 people at its Jena site.