The Technology Behind the New Las Vegas Sphere

The world's largest spherical structure "squats on the Las Vegas skyline like an enormous spaceship, black and mysterious," reports CNN, "until night falls, when it will glow like the Earth from space." The $2 billion arena - called "The Sphere" - was built just east of the Venetian hotel/casino. It's 366 feet tall and 516 feet wide (or 111 meters tall and 157 meters wide) - and it boasts the world's highest-resolution wraparound LED screen:Its exterior is fitted with 1.2 million hockey puck-sized LEDs that can be programmed to flash dynamic imagery on a massive scale - again, reportedly the world's largest... The acts onstage will be dwarfed by the towering 16K LED screen, which wraps over and around much of the audience. It was fully illuminated for the first time on Tuesday to celebrate the Fourth of July, CNN points out (offering some video footage). When it opens in September, the plan is to light up its exterior with animations every day and night. Slashdot reader Tony Isaac says the news "got me wondering how they got such great video on the curved surface of the sphere."It turns out there's a whole lot more than just the exterior that breaks new ground in audio and video technology. An older IBC article goes into detail about how they accomplished both the exterior and interior screens, and the high-resolution audio inside. CNN reports:Rich Claffey, Sphere's chief operations officer, says that more than 160,000 speakers spread around the bowl will deliver the same pristine sound to every seat, whether someone is in the top row or down on the floor. The venue also is equipped with haptic seats that can vibrate to match whatever is happening onscreen - an earthquake, for example - and 4D machines that can create wind, temperature and even scent effects. "The way I describe it to my friends and family is, it's the entertainment venue of the future," Claffey says. If it all sounds a little over the top, well - this is Vegas. The arena's first act will be 25 concerts by U2 (with tickets starting at $140). "There's nothing like it. It's light years ahead of everything that's out there," says U2's The Edge during a tour of the venue in a recent Apple Music video... And U2's Bono adds that "Most music venues are sports venues. They're built for sports - they're not built for music. They're not built for art. This building was built for immersive experiences in cinema and performance... "

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