TV as a work of art
Future Automation, a manufacturer of home automation mechanisms, has come up with an ingenious way of reconciling a 19th century interior design with 21st century living.
The company, which specialises in flat-screen mounting solutions and high-tech devices to conceal projectors, plasmas and televisions, has a custom-made mechanism for plasma screens that allows designers to integrate technology in the interior scheme.
Distributed in Australia through Canohm, the mechanism was designed for a period home in Knightsbridge, London. A screen was to be housed in an ornate piece of cabinetry, with the capacity to be automatically revealed and repositioned.
ADVERTISEMENT
“The layout of the room and the nature and age of the building posed unique challenges when it came to considering how to position the television, as it couldn’t be recessed into the walls,” business development manager Ollie French says.
“Our solution was to combine two of our products to create a specialised automation mechanism on which the screen could be seamlessly revealed.”
The result is an evolution of Future Automation’s popular sliding panel mechanism, which splits a panel in half horizontally before advancing a plasma to sit flush with its surroundings.
In this case, the dynamics of the room and the fact that the cabinet position was determined by an air-conditioning unit meant the screen could not be comfortably viewed in this position.
But by combining the split-panel unit with its new Quad Arm bi-directional electric bracket, Future Automation was able to devise a mechanism that not only revealed the plasma but advanced it completely out of the cabinet before rotating it to the optimum viewing position for the room.
On activation, the bracket moves forward on a parallel track then turns up to 90º in either direction.
This is ideal when, as in this instance, it is combined with a moving panel mechanism, such as a sliding panel, that allows the screen to be hidden then revealed and rotated to the preferred viewing position.
The installation – one of the most complex split panels the company has built – required substantial re-programming of software in the control box, and other alterations.
“This is a bespoke solution to a request that combines two of our standard products,” Ollie says.
“All clients have individual needs, and this is a perfect example of how we can meet their requirements by using existing technology and products in innovative ways.”
He says the mechanism offers lifestyle and aesthetic benefits, allowing the plasma to be discreetly concealed then revealed for maximum effect.
One touch of the wireless Crestron touch panel and the plasma emerges from its stylish home and rotates to face into the room.
The final effect, with the screen appearing to float in front of the cabinet, has plenty of ‘wow’ factor. The solution also offers the perfect platform for displaying the property’s impressive audio-visual sources, including a Kaleidescape entertainment server.
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT
-
ADVERTISEMENT