You probably happened to see concert footage of at least the band Coldplay on which you can see the entire audience "glowing". Me too, and I began to wonder how it works. It turns out that the system can be so simple as to be unbelievable.
Firing up the computer after a short break from the Internet jumped out at me interesting material just about this technology. I'm attaching it below, of course, but I'll also describe it a bit.
Distribution and the armband itself
The whole thing is based on trust, because there are wristbands hanging by each seat, and just as the technician is laying them out, he is counting on all of them to come back in place. I wonder what margin they have imposed on how many wristbands don't come back....
Fortunately, the device itself is a few LEDs and a small computer with a receiver, a battery and a few transmitters. So the cost is small, although going for quantity, well, you know. In this type of implementation there are several possibilities for controlling the armbands.
Radio Synal
The first option is based on a radio signal. The wristbands are equipped with a transmitter and divided into specific groups, sectors. Thanks to the RF transmitter and appropriate software such as MADRIX, for example, or other which handles pixels, we get large groups of pixels to display animations. The downside of this technology is that it limits our accuracy of animation, because each pixel consists of many bands that are in a group, a sector.
Timeless infrared
Another option is quite interesting, because it uses almost 50-year-old infrared technology. Those who haven't sent themselves phone ringtones by aiming an IrDa transmitter at a colleague's receiver have missed a lot... But let's go back. Each wristband is equipped with an infrared receiver. What is surprising is the control which is done by moving devices - such as for light, smart heads. Instead of a beam of light, they emit an infrared beam. "Illuminated area" then gets commands, which can be intensity, color, or strobe. Exactly what we have in light. Interestingly, the usual gobos are installed in the device. This allows us to display the desired shapes with the bands.
Advanced pixel mapping
There are other technologies for controlling pixels on the audience, and of course the Asians are leading the way in inventing the newer ones. And so, for example, during one K-Pop concert, people could buy specially glowing wands, which they registered in the app, specified the sector and location, and the software arranged them on the animation set. The operator then got a real field and the ability to display content almost like an LED wall.
Summary
I myself am a fan of more and more interesting solutions to add an incredible dimension to artistic performances or events. I did a little research on the Internet and it turns out that something that is practically non-existent in our country, overseas is an everyday occurrence.
And so the aforementioned technology can be found at concerts, sporting events, performances or events. From what I have observed, properly used technology always provides an amazing atmosphere.
Source: Wall Streed Journal - The Tech Behind How Concert LED Light Wristbands Work
