Datapath powers Shimizu Corporation Smart Control Center as new skyscrapers rise in Tokyo

With annual sales of approximately US$15 billion, Shimizu Corporation is widely recognized as one of the top 5 contractors in Japan and among the top 20 in the world.

The leading architectural and civil engineering firm required the design and installation of a large video wall solution for their multi-purpose Smart Control Center (SCC) in central Tokyo. Located at their construction site, the SCC would oversee no less than three new skyscrapers being erected in Japan’s capital.

In order to oversee this epic addition to the Tokyo skyline, the video wall would see a variety of usages: monitoring the construction site via multiple camera sources; displaying construction design and progress and documents as well as conducting video conferences and presentations.

The video wall solution presented many challenges, including finding a technically and commercially optimal solution that could not only satisfy the required number of inputs and outputs (including inputs up to 4K60), but also flexible content arrangements and flexible control – without the need for extensive programming of external controllers.

Shimizu Corporation adopted a Datapath VSN1182 video wall controller, running WallControl 10 Professional management software to power content, including the abilities to:

• Drive a video wall consisting of 33x 55 inch LG screens
• Configure bezel correction
• Display various sources anywhere and at any size within the video wall
• Directly launch web page sources from the controller, thus reducing the requirement for external PC source machines
• Independently manage content arrangements within subsections of the video wall
• Expand the number of inputs and/or outputs later, if needed

The video wall is made up of both flat and curved displays from LG in an 11×3 configuration – wrapping around the left and right walls of the room. Using WallControl 10’s ‘Multi Wall’ feature, operators are able to control the left, middle and right areas independently, or change over to treating the video wall as one single display surface.

The graphics configuration was able to be fine-tuned to correctly apply bezel correction across the multiple display models (flat and curved) which, while having the same active display area, had slightly different vertical alignments and bezel dimensions.

While the solution has started its operation within the construction management building alongside one of three towers under construction, the video wall controller may be moved – and even expanded or reconfigured – to meet the needs to its future home in the long-term, fixed command center within one of these towers.

As these three new skyscrapers rise above the Tokyo skyline, all elements of the construction now have a control center that can provide a multitude of information – from live on-site camera feeds to important logistics information.

Wholly flexible to their needs, Shimizu Corporation now have a powerful control center that can be scaled and relocated as the project develops.

Michael Austin, Datapath’s Director of Sales, APAC, reflected on Datapath’s involvement in such a high-profile project. “The challenge of monitoring all elements of this construction project, along with internal messaging, were considerable. Using Datapath’s proven VSN system and WallControl10 software, the Smart Control Center allows for flexible management of this content – thus ensuring staff and management can instantly change focus when needed and as the build develops. We are proud to have played our part in this stunning construction development in Tokyo.”