MOTION CONTROL FEATURE SETTING THE SCENE IN MOTION Motion control solutions from Trio Motion
Technology were selected for a dramatic set for the opera Blue, which took place at the
London Coliseum. Here we find out how motion technology met the application demands
cast asunder – came to London in 2023 for a production at the English National Opera, based at the London Coliseum. A special set was essential to bring the turmoil and emotion of the story to life, so the English National Opera commissioned creative construction company Scott Fleary for the project. This was led by project manager Andrew Mitchel. The resulting set would comprise a 7.6m
F
diameter, vertically rotating drum, housing a 6m by 3m room. This backdrop would rotate between scenes, set in a portrait, landscape, or 45-degree angle. In one crucial scene, the set also had to rotate continuously during the performance. To fit the tone of each scene, the motion of the drum also had to synchronise with projection-mapped video content of abstract New York City street life.
MOTION SOLUTION Assembled in two halves, the large ten tonne drum was secured within a cradle, holding its position while allowing it to rotate. The design team specified a 4.5kW AC motor, coupled to a planetary gearbox with a 50:1 ratio, to drive the drum. Connected to the motor shaft, a
ollowing its premier in the US in 2019, the opera Blue – which is set in modern-day New York and tells the story of a family
1,000-tooth drive wheel would turn the drum’s central strut; and to stabilise the drum, its outer struts would be guided by nylon rollers secured to the cradle. Controlling the position of the drum was crucial, and so to achieve automated synchronisation Scott Fleary commissioned electronics and automation integration partner Iskudo. “Between each scene, the drum was set into motion, and it had to stop at exactly the right point,” explained Mitchel. “For the pivotal scene where the mother learns of the loss of her son, the backdrop was also required to continually rotate, emphasising the disarray she faced, before stopping at 90 degrees in perfect alignment with the stage.” Tim Baarsch, who leads Iskudo, worked
around Blue’s eight scenes to plan the motion and achieve the required angle of turn according to the specified time of each scene change, such as movement of 90 degrees over 38 seconds. To achieve this, he selected a Trio Motion Technology MC6N-ECAT Motion Coordinator, providing high-speed EtherCAT communications to optimise motion control precision, supplied by GAPP Automation. Baarsch programmed the controller using the TrioBASIC language.
JULY/AUGUST 2025 DESIGN SOLUTIONS 57
PRECISE AND REPEATABLE MOTION Calibration of the motion profiles for each scene required a speed ramp up and ramp down, especially important considering the weight of the drum and the extent of inertia. The motor was also equipped with a breaking resistor to assist a controlled slow down, and precise tensioning between the motor and drive wheel provided dampening. Control was particularly tested during scenes where performers were positioned within the drum. “The level of precision required to position the set exactly where we need it could only be achieved with a specialised motion controller, and the reason I work with Trio is that the controllers give repeatability as well as high precision,” explained Baarsch. To coordinate the motion with the projection of video imagery, the controller had to provide the media server with the drum’s precise position. This was achieved via the Trio controller’s serial communications port, set up to give angular position every tenth of a second. Using a compact conversion device, the serial communications data was translated into OSC (Open Sound Control), a format commonly used in media and theatre for control and synchronisation between automation and lighting, audio and video systems. As the company couldn’t mount a typical sensor in the centre of the drum to give constant angular feedback, it had to use a limit switch and then make the calculations inside the MC6N controller. This method, which the flexibility of the Trio controller allowed, provided the required precision in coordination between the video projection and drum position. To operate the motion of the set for each
performance, Iskudo developed a 7in touchscreen system that a production crewmember could use on the theatre floor. With buttons corresponding with the drum’s motion moves required for each scene, the touchscreen device integrated with the Trio controller via its Ethernet port.
Trio Motion Technology
www.triomotion.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64
