products and services

Digitization of education

Lightboards "Made in Germany"

Development of lightboards by Astra7 GmbH

Astra7 GmbH has been developing lightboards for universities, colleges, schools and other educational institutions for many years. Over time, we have continuously developed and optimized the technology of the lightboards. The focus of our development is on making our lightboards flexible, robust, reliable and compact.

The current system is designed to be wheeled and fit through most doorways and elevator entrances. The shatterproof pane is made of particularly translucent glass with glass edge lighting. In comparison to fixed and expensive installed lightboard transmission rooms, such as those used at international universities, we have created a compact system that can be used very flexibly. Instead of the usual market costs of 30,000 - 50,000 €, the investment for the lightboard development of Astra7 GmbH is a fraction of that. The current developments of Astra7 GmbH thus make an important contribution to the digitization of education and enable lightboard systems to be used across the board in schools, universities and colleges.

Lightboard special glass with glass edge lighting

For our lightboards we use a shatterproof, particularly translucent special glass. With a special glass edge lighting, the lightboard is illuminated all around by a light source. This light source is dimmable so that the light intensity can be optimally adjusted to the environment.

Spots am Lightboard der Astra7 GmbH

The lightboard systems from Astra7 GmbH are equipped with spots so that the speaker is gently illuminated. Since the spots can be set to three different levels of brightness, the lighting can be adjusted to suit the environment. An attached focus ring ensures that no stray light and the associated reflections are emitted in the direction of the glass pane.

Camera technology used on the lightboard

In order to keep the overall costs for our lightboard systems as low as possible, we have used standard camera systems from the start. We use standard webcams that are equipped with Full HD or 4K resolution, depending on the area of application. These systems offer very good video quality both for recordings and for transmission at online live events. Irrespective of this, it is also possible to use suitable profile camera systems for the lightboards.

Audio-System

It turns out that the audio quality is the main factor in assessing the overall quality of the Lightboard system. For this reason, we use a wireless microphone that is placed very close to the speaker. This ensures that the lecturer is optimally understood by the listener. The audio system is transmitted wirelessly to the PC used and processed there together with the video signal.

Production

The lightboard systems from Astra7 GmbH are manufactured entirely in Germany. In addition to the standard systems from our range, we also manufacture lightboards individually according to our customers' wishes. Each completed system is checked and extensively tested with all functions. This ensures that our lightboards function optimally and can be used over a long period of time. In addition to the actual lightboards, we also produce various accessories that are required in operation.

requirements and conditions

In order to achieve the desired effect, the broadcasting room in which the lightboard is located must be able to be darkened. In addition, the wall surfaces and other objects in front of and behind the lightboard must be covered with a low-reflection fabric. We have also developed special wall brackets with a suitable fabric covering.

Origin of Lightboards systems

The idea of the lightboards came about a few years ago at American universities. Very elaborate rooms with professional film cameras have been set up there. Since the systems used were very expensive, they were only used at large universities and colleges. The fascinating thing about the technology is that you can see the speaker during the presentation. Compared to a conventional blackboard, where the speaker usually stands with his back to the audience, a lightboard presentation creates a fascinating bond with the speaker.

Use of lightboards

The lightboards from Astra7 GmbH are used at universities, colleges, schools or in various educational institutions. Furthermore, the lightboards are also used by advertising agencies, companies and bloggers to create clips and interesting videos. This results in a very large number of areas of application in which lightboards come into play.

Lightboards for online transmission or for recording

The lectures can be broadcast live to the students or made available as a recording. With our compact and mobile systems, we offer a flexible and cost-effective alternative to fixed broadcasting rooms with studio technology and additional staff to operate cameras and mixing consoles. The lightboards from Astra7 GmbH offer similar options and can be operated by the teachers with a little practice without the use of additional staff. Since the lightboard is rollable and fits through a door or an elevator with an opening of 2.00 x 0.80 m, it can be used in different rooms. The camera arm can be swiveled in for this purpose. The acquisition and operating costs are many times lower than complex, permanently installed systems with film camera technology and still achieve very good results. Most of our customers use a room of approx. 3 x 4 m as a broadcasting room, which can be darkened. To avoid unwanted reflections in the pane, the wall surfaces in front of and behind the lightboard should be covered with black, low-reflection stage fabric, for example. Appropriate wall brackets and other accessories can also be obtained from us.

Depending on the equipment, our lightboards are equipped with a mini PC, a streaming camera with a resolution of 4K and a lavalier microphone. In this way we ensure that optimal audio quality is achieved for transmissions or recordings and that the videos can be in high resolution. The complete control takes place on the lightboard by the lecturer. Furthermore, a control monitor is attached to the lightboard so that the participants in an online lecture are always in the professor's field of vision. Standard systems such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams or other solutions that support streaming cameras can be used to transmit the lecture online. In this way, the lightboard can be used very universally, regardless of the provider.

Spots attached to the lightboard, whose luminous intensity can be varied in three stages, ensure that the lecturer is optimally illuminated. With the dimmable glass edge lighting, the lighting of the special clear glass pane can be optimally adjusted.

Astra7 GmbH thus provides an ideal lightboard system for colleges and universities that is developed and manufactured in Germany. For some components in the field of video and audio technology, we rely on widespread standards. The Lightboard has been continuously optimized and further developed in recent years and is now available in the third generation.

Some training institutions have switched their entire training courses to online formats. The broadcasting rooms are equipped with lightboards and are used by the learners to transport the content to the students. Lightboards, along with other media, are available as an important form of knowledge transfer. Travel time and effort are thus significantly reduced. Since the lightboards from Astra7 GmbH can be rolled and fit through standard doors, they can be used in different rooms. They are also equipped with a PC, a control monitor, a camera system and an audio system. In order to achieve an optimal effect, the glass edge lighting on the lightboard can be dimmed. Two attached spotlights ensure that the teacher is optimally illuminated. In order to achieve an optimal effect, the broadcasting room should be darkened. Furthermore, the walls behind and in front of the lightboard should be covered with a low-reflection, dark fabric. Our customers also include language schools that train language students in different countries with the Lightboard. The lecturers are in constant eye contact with the students, who can see them on a control monitor attached to the lightboard. Common products such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams are used for transmission. The PC located on the lightboard can be connected directly to the internet via a corresponding cable. The lightboards from Astra7 GmbH thus offer an ideal opportunity to promote the digitization of schools, further education institutions and academies.

Compact lightboards and lightboxes for exciting messages

The presentation with a lightboard has a fascinating effect on the audience from the very first second. This makes it possible, like hardly any other medium, to immediately draw the audience and listeners under the spell of the presentation. This results in very clear advantages for the user. With our rollable lightboard, we have created a system that is compact, cost-effective and efficient. The lightbox from Astra7 GmbH was specially developed for all those who do not have a separate room. There are fold-out walls attached to the lightboard, with which the lightboard can be surrounded by a darkened room in no time at all. This system is particularly suitable for short messages such as blogs, small reports and short commercials. If the system is no longer required, the walls can be folded in and the lightbox only takes up a small amount of space of 1.2 m².

Studios with lightboards, presentation area and discussion corner

As more content is streamed or recorded online, well-equipped Lightboard Studios become more important. In our concepts, we make sure that other didactic means can be used in addition to the lightboard. A well-equipped studio also has a desk with several monitors, camera and lighting systems on which a lecturer can transmit or record presentations or other PC-based content. The online transmission takes place with the common systems such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams.

In addition, there can also be a corner of the table in a sender room, where two conversation partners deal with a topic in dialogue with an online group or recorded. It is important that the teachers can use the various media in the room without additional staff. For example, theoretical material can first be explained with illustrations and graphics on the lightboard. The didactic added value is obvious. The lecturers are in constant eye contact with the learners and can use facial expressions and gestures to visualize the learning material. The didactic quality is thus much higher than when using blackboards, where the teacher stands with his back to the audience and partially covers the presentation. The lecturer then switches to the PC workstation and continues with a presentation. Since the speakers are always equipped with a radio microphone, the voice quality is identical when using all media. When changing the position from the lightboard to the PC workstation, the presenter switches to a second camera so that he can also be seen at the PC workstation. The teacher can see the audience on one of the monitors. At the end, the presenter can move to the corner of the table and switch to a third camera. There, for example, a dialogue can then take place with the audience about the results and the material. The lecturer can see the participants on appropriate control monitors and respond to their questions. Using a loudspeaker system, the lecturer can clearly hear and understand the participants from any position in the room. So that the broadcasting studio can be used optimally, we would be happy to support you in creating a manual that will help the speaker to use the equipment. This means that no additional staff is required to administer the room and the various media. This not only reduces considerable costs, but also significantly reduces the effort for the speaker. For universities and further education institutions that want to operate several broadcasting studios, we recommend a person who checks the quality and supports the lecturers with didactic and technical questions. This person can then also prepare the teachers in short training courses on how to use the various media and at the same time optimize the quality of the results. In our opinion, a university of the future can consist of broadcasting studios with lightboards, which can possibly also be outsourced to the teachers, open "learning spaces" and practice rooms for laboratories and internships. Large lecture rooms are a thing of the past. Learners can learn from home, from the coffee shop, or from anywhere in the world. A tablet with a camera, microphone and sufficient internet connection is sufficient. Astra7 GmbH has set itself the goal of providing holistic support in the digitization of education. With the products and services in this area, we already cover a wide spectrum for the digital transformation of educational processes and are constantly developing further ideas and innovations.

Lightbox and presenter desk in university and college operations

In order to transport the lecture material to the students in the lecture hall and to students who are connected online at the same time, we have developed a lightbox for lectures. In order to keep light reflections in the pane as low as possible, the lightboard is surrounded by a funnel-shaped screen. Behind the Lightbox is a completely darkened room, so that no reflections can enter the pane from behind. In order to achieve an optimal effect, the room should be darkened. The teacher sees the students who are connected online in the attached control monitor. Since the presentation on the disc appears mirror-inverted for the students in the lecture room, it is also projected mirrored onto the wall next to it. This means that a large number of students can be in the lecture room, while other students can be connected worldwide. In this way, travel and accommodation costs can be significantly reduced, especially when lectures are blocked. A simple alternative is our newly developed Presenter Desk. This is a desk in which a 4K camera, an audio system, a digitizer board with pen, a control monitor and a document scanner are integrated. The teacher can also use this to provide students in the room and at the same time online students with learning material. In contrast to the lightbox, it is not necessary to darken the room. The presenter desk can be rolled and moved to a lockable room after the lecture. We have also developed solutions in which each lecturer has their own tablet PC that can be integrated into the presenter desk. This allows teachers to prepare the learning units on their systems and then connect them to the Presenter Desk in the lecture hall. This completely new option offers a great deal of flexibility and makes an important contribution to the digitization of education.