12m spherical projection theater at Yeosu Marine Meteorological Science Museum
Photo credit: METASPACE
METASPACE, a leading South Korean integrator specializing in astronomy and space science solutions, has deployed a Front Pictures system in the spherical projection theater at the National Yeosu Marine Meteorological Science Museum.
Opened in December 2024 in the coastal city of Yeosu, it is South Korea’s first museum dedicated to marine meteorology. Visitors can explore complex weather systems through interactive multimedia exhibits. One of the museum’s main highlights is a fully immersive spherical projection theater that takes audiences on a journey through atmospheric and oceanic phenomena.
The 12-meter-diameter sphere features a transparent glass observation bridge connecting two entrance portals. Standing on the bridge, visitors are completely surrounded by a 450 m² projection screen.
At the heart of the experience is a Front Pictures projection system based on a Screenberry Atlas x4 media server, which automatically aligns and controls 12 WUXGA Vivitek laser phosphor projectors. An additional media server was installed as a backup. A four-camera Screenberry Calibration Kit captures the entire projection surface for automatic calibration.
The projectors were positioned around the entrance portals on opposite sides of the sphere to provide full coverage of the screen. This layout eliminated shadows cast by the observation bridge while minimizing direct glare in visitors’ eyes. However, the extreme projection angles required an exceptionally sophisticated warping and edge-blending solution.
Screenberry’s automatic calibration algorithms are uniquely suited to handling extreme projection geometries. By capturing the entire spherical surface, the system processes and aligns the 12 projectors, applying precise geometric warp and blend calculations in minutes. The result is a flawless, high-contrast, unified canvas that wraps seamlessly around the audience.
Inspired by the success of Space 360, the National Yeosu Marine Meteorological Science Museum approached us to design a similar immersive attraction. Naturally, the Screenberry [driven system by Front Pictures] was our top choice. It provides everything required for such a challenging installation, including multi-camera auto-calibration and advanced alignment algorithms, making a full-sphere setup not only possible but also efficient and easy to maintain.
Soonchang Park , METASPACE CEO
The Yeosu Sphere is the second Screenberry-driven spherical projection theater in South Korea. The first one – Space360 – was installed by METASPACE at the Gwangju National Science Museum back in 2017. The Gwangju sphere was recently upgraded with the latest version of Screenberry software, enabling faster and more efficient multi-camera auto-alignment.
