In the heart of the Belgian city Roeselare, in the historic De Sint-Amandskerk, The Art Hour (Het Kunstuur) collaborated with Painting with Light, a leading specialist in the design and production of total visual experiences, to transform the church into a unique and accessible, fully immersive museum experience.

To provide seamless interaction between visitors, the art on display, and the venue itself, PWL used Brainboxes industrial Ethernet to remote IO modules to facilitate various functionalities within the system. The Brainboxes provide a robust solution for integrating digital inputs and outputs, and serve as the interface between physical devices and the control system.

A key functionality of the remote IO Brainboxes is their ability to handle digital inputs from various sources, such as switches, buttons, and sensors. In the Het Kunstuur Roeselare installation, digital inputs for show activation and door control, triggered by operator inputs, visitor interactions or environmental cues, were processed efficiently, allowing for precise control of multimedia effects and interactive elements throughout the experience.

In addition to receiving inputs, the Brainboxes can control digital outputs, including relays and actuators. This capability enabled PWL to orchestrate complex sequences of events, such as lighting effects, moving elements, and audio-visual cues, to create an immersive and synchronized show.

“Brainboxes are reliable, they just work and they are easy to integrate into the existing industry-specific software systems we use.” – Michiel Vanderhenst, PWL Project Manager/ Technical Specification Engineer

The versatility of the Brainboxes extends to their seamless integration with various software systems and programming languages used across varied industries and sectors. Whether it’s Visual Basic, C#, or custom software developed for the immersive entertainment industry, the modules provide comprehensive APIs for easy integration, empowering engineers to design creative systems that will bring their vision to life with precision and efficiency.

For PWL, Brainboxes modules integrated with the system’s software to translate inputs into actionable commands, enabling the precise execution of lighting, video effects, and exhibit interactions based on operator inputs and predefined scripts. By synchronising all elements of the installation, the Brainboxes help to maintain the flow of the one-hour tour, ensuring the flawless timing of lighting changes, holographic displays, and venue ambiance designed by the PWL team to create a cohesive and fully immersive experience for visitors.

Critical to the success of any installation is the reliability and robustness of the control system. PWL’s innovative design utilising Brainboxes modules enabled Het Kunstuur to seamlessly blend art and technology, converging the past and the present, to create a unique and fully automated immersive museum experience. By seamlessly integrating physical devices with digital control systems, Brainboxes enable designers and engineers to transform ideas into reality, setting high standards for interactive design in the immersive industry and beyond.