Cobra Simulation announce the release of its new range of 8K based fully portable single channel domes. Made possible by the introduction of the new JVC E-shift range of projectors. JVC becomes the first projector manufacturer to achieve certification with an 8k resolution projector combined with our Cobra180 dome.

Enabling our latest Cobra180® product to achieve an average resolution of approx. 2 arcmin/pix. Over a 180° x 80° FOV. When combined with our Cobra150® dome we finally tip the industry pivot scales to an average of around 1.25 arcmin/pix over a 150° x 66° FOV.

Alexander Bradley Managing Director said “This is a pivotal moment for our single channel product map at Cobra. Adding 8k projectors to our portfolio brings a new level of immersion to our offering.”

E-Shift has been around for many years. The technology is on its third revision having matured well. We had high expectations when starting the certification process for use with our domes and the JVC does not disappoint. As one of the leading pixel shift technologies it takes a traditional native 4k input and upscales it to 8k @60hz. The biproduct of such a high resolution is the need for a new high-quality lens. The JVC is delivered out the box with an all glass lens with a large zoom and lens shift range to deliver crisp images. The quality of the optics supports a large depth of focus when combined with Cobra’s unique 2^nd generation first surface mirror technology.

Cobra180® is a professional high quality, immersive display solution optimised for training & simulation use. The unit combines a 2.1m diameter panorama dome screen delivering 180 degree horizontal and 80-degree vertical fields of view, with an integral single channel optical solution incorporating projector mounting plate, first surface mirror, and ambient light management. Manufactured from dual-skin GRP with an integral aluminium frame, the Cobra180® is light enough to be housed in a flight case for storage and rapid deployment/ assembly, yet strong enough to form part of a permanent fixed installation.

Custom cut out:

All Cobra180® domes can be delivered with a section of the dome cut to your specification. You may wish to slide an aircraft cockpit inside the dome. Removing a section of dome allows you to keep the users eye point at dome centre.

With a great range of 4k and now 8k projectors, two dome sizes to choose from with lamp or laser-based options there is a solution to suit a range of training & simulation budgets.

Please speak with a member of our sales team for more information and pricing.

DEMAND INCREASES

2020 has seen an increase in demand for immersive technologies driven by the worldwide pandemic. Technologies that simply cannot function without firmware and software. Presenting Cobra with an opportunity to diversify its offerings. It will shape a new future where it can support a larger solution based eco-system and contribute credibly to existing ones.

METAVERSE FUTURE

The consumer and serious games industry continue to morph into a blended offering. Sharing best practices and technology developments. These former opposing approaches are now difficult to distinguish in modern day applications as we strive for the ultimate metaverse holy grail offering. Cross seeding talent from entertainment to defence/ serious games will help deliver on these goals.

SEEDING TALENT

Its appointment in July 2020 of Professor Kenny Mitchell as its Chief Technical Officer brings to the table a wealth of experience as an ex-Disney Imagineer of 10 years, Kenny has been drawing up plans and preparing prototypes to seed upcoming software developments at Cobra Simulation. By adding software tools and products to the business we are improving our resilience to these trying times with multiple income streams that complement our key display hardware technologies.

SECURING IP

With millions benefiting from Kenny’s prior contributions to video games including Harry Potter and theme park rides including Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge Smuggler’s Run, this represents a huge opportunity for Cobra and the training and simulation sector. New foundational intellectual properties will doubtless arrive over the coming months integrating with and extending the capabilities of the best tools in the business.

MOORES LAW

Cobra realised that it would have success in this simulation market because it had the foresight to recognise the principle of “Moores Law” and its application for the development of projector resolution. Resolution is doubling on projectors every 2-4 years, and at the same time the price to the user is falling – as a parallel witness what has happened in the consumer television market. The drive is to increase the resolution to enable the viewer to be unable to distinguish pixels on a screen, thereby enhancing the visual authenticity of the images. The current target market resolution for domes is around 1.5 arcmins/pixel (“Retina Display” as dubbed by Apple). Our smallest Cobra 150 display already delivers 2.5 arcmins/ pixel as we have adopted three cycles of the Moore’s Law principle since 2012, being 720p > 1080p (HD) > 4K (UHD) resolutions. 2021 will see the introduction of 8K. Consequently, we can fulfil market expectations on our smallest dome without the need for multiple projectors, a key USP.

COST BENEFIT

Our single channel projection solutions have a substantially reduced cost throughout project cycles because we strip out the complexity and remove many of the technical problems associated with multi-projector installs. For example, these include edge blending, warp and blending multi-channel licencing, and the need for matched projector factory calibration. As each cycle of resolution is adopted, this enables the ability to project the same number of pixels with less projectors, leading to a significant market pivot to single channel solutions.

THREAT OR OPPORTUNITY?

Depends who you ask. Our industry is changing, and it is for the better. Dare I mentioned net zero targets? We find ourselves in a position today where circumstance has been driven by a training need, manufacturers and integrators have quit rightly fulfilled that need. Doing what we do best throwing more horsepower at the problem. In order to improve the fidelity, we must increase the resolution and our only choice up until now was to increase the volume of projectors. Good for business, great for the user, bad for the pocket and the environment.

Our message is this, it can be good for business, great for the user, good for the pocket and kinder to the environment. But how? What has been humbling of late is an increasing realisation in the industry that less can be more. Spread your budget over multiple single channel projection systems, train more users within the same timeline for a similar cost to one user in a large multi-channel system. Less complex platforms are undeniably more efficient, single projector + single image generator = more time training.

GET IN TOUCH

We seek partners, integrators and manufacturers alike to join with us, support our innovation today and plan for tomorrow.