A live concert broadcast simultaneously in multiple planetariums, with the audience interacting through virtual avatars. Or an art exhibition where the works come to life in a 360-degree space, allowing visitors from different cities to share the same immersive experience. This is the potential of DOMEconnect, The system developed by Fraunhofer HHI which is redrawing the boundaries of multimedia exhibitions.
A New Future for the Star Temples
Planetariums have always been magical places, where looking up at the artificial sky means coming into contact with infinity. Circular spaces where the dome becomes a window onto the universe, making us travel among the stars and galaxies without moving from our armchair. In my city, Naples, all this magic is called the “Capodimonte Observatory”: between the screaming city and the Real Bosco, a corner that for me has always been a dream. This is why it is so beautiful that these temples dedicated to astronomy are preparing to experience a second youth, transforming themselves into theaters of shared cultural experiences. It will be thanks to technologies like the one I talk about in this article.
The real revolution of DOMEconnect lies in its ability to network multiple planetariums, allowing audiences in different cities to live the same immersive experience at the same time. As he explains Christian Weissig, head of the Capture & Display Systems group at the Fraunhofer HHI, “we are in uncharted territory with these interactive options in immersive spaces. There is no user manual yet, and that means we are opening up new test scenarios for companies and organizations.”
Cutting-edge technology for unique experiences
The beating heart of DOMEconnect consists of three technologies developed internally by the institute: OmniCam-360, a scalable multi-camera system for 360° video recording; the Real-Time-Stitching Engine (RTSE) which processes ultra-high definition panoramic videos in real time; and CineBox, which decodes video streams for multi-projection systems. Together, these tools enable the transmission of ultra-high resolution content (10K x 5K) to multiple installations with different projection surfaces.
A concrete example of the potential of DOMEconnect is the project linked to the exhibition on Immanuel Kant of Bundeskunsthalle in Bonn. Researchers are working to adapt the exhibition content to the immersive spaces of planetariums, recreating the 360th-century city of Königsberg in a XNUMX° environment. Visitors will be able to virtually walk through the streets of the former capital of East Prussia and even “converse” with the great philosopher.
Immersive Exhibitions, a New Way to Experience Culture
DOMEconnect goes beyond simple content projection. Thanks to the use of avatar and smartphones as controllers, the public will be able to actively participate in events, interact with other visitors, complete tasks and experience the content as a group. A social and participatory dimension that transforms the cultural experience into a moment of sharing and collective discovery. The planetarium as a digital agora, in short.
It is fascinating to think about how these places, created to show us the wonders of the cosmos, are evolving into cutting-edge cultural gathering spaces. Domes that once showed us only the stars now open up to infinite creative possibilities, becoming meeting points where art, technology and participation merge into a single immersive experience. With DOMEconnect, planetariums are preparing to become true interconnected “cultural portals”, where the magic of the stars merges with new forms of artistic and cultural expression.
A future where these spaces will continue to make us dream, not only by showing us the wonders of the sky, but also by creating connections between people through shared and immersive cultural experiences. A true revolution that reminds us how technology, when used with creativity and vision, can enrich and transform our ways of living and sharing culture.
Gut gemacht, Freunde vom Fraunhofer! And thank you :)