Vatino Technics International Inc. Unveils Smart Advertising Display Globes

Established in 1978, Vatino Technics International Inc. has recently impressed professionals in the advertising-media sector with its two eye-catching advertising-display media--the "Era-Ball" and "Mirage Motion Panel."

The Era-Ball lamp is a transparent-globe display, with a diameter of 32cm or 40cm depending on need, onto which advertising graphics and characters are beamed from a specially designed device fixed in the center of the globe body.

A 12- or 24-volt motor is fixed to the bottom of the transparent ball. From it an arm extends into the globe; on the former a two- or four- megabyte memory module is attached, on which 32 light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are mounted in a straight line. When the arm rotates, the graphics and characters pre- programmed into the memory chip are projected onto the globe's transparent wall by the LEDs.

The company claims the Era-Ball boasts the world's fastest interior-mechanism turning rate for products of its kind--2,250 rounds per minute--ensuring superior image quality.

Standard models of the media-display product produce characters/graphics in eight colors. A premium model, incorporating 48 LEDS, displays 12 colors (possible through the use of unique proprietary technology the firm prefers not to divulge). The resolution of eight-color projections is 42 dots and 256 rows while resolution for four-color projections is 58 dots by 256 rows; the height of the projections ranges from 11 cm to 18 cm.

All characters/graphics can be entered into the device's memory through computers running Windows software, V8 camcorders, and scanners; an RS232 socket-interface is located on the device's base. Users can design the graphics and characters with the easy-to-use MS Paint software.

After downloading a character/graphic file into the memory module, the Era-Ball can run the display independently, without exterior assistance. Most rival models must be connected to exterior-input machines when running displays, drastically reducing usage convenience.

The globes themselves come in an array of attractive hues--including amber, blue, and green; there is also a colorless version. They are made of bulletproof plastic, and the bases housing the motors are made of acrylic, making the product in its entirety both extremely light (just 2~3 kilograms) and superbly resistant to damage.

The globe's displays can be seen from angles as much as 60 degrees, ensuring effective exposure in areas of dense foot traffic. The unique display technology has been patented in some 10 countries and areas including the United States, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, mainland China, and Taiwan itself.

The display media has a sleek, sophisticated high-tech look, but the company says its price is well within range for buyers needing an ad- display vehicle that is out of the ordinary. Models go within a range of NT$28,000 to NT$40,000 (US$800~$1,150 at US$1:NT$35). The company has installed an output capacity of 50,000 units per month since the item was rolled out in January.

The Mirage Motion Panel, which was introduced in January, is also a patented product, winning certification in mainland China, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Germany. The panel, similar to a notebook-computer monitor, has standard versions of nine, 14, 15, and 17 inches; sizes beyond this can also be provided, with one meter the maximum.

The advanced light-generation system and software enables eye-catching 3D displays in rich color textures. The software drives a special film on the inner wall of a laminated plastic board to create the illusion of motion for pictures on a sheet inserted into the board. The sheet can handle a maximum of 12 pictures. The standard models weigh in at just about one kilogram, makes them ideal advertising displays for indoor and outdoor promotions by such commercial concerns as retailers, restaurants, bars, and beauty salons. They are priced from US$12 to US$30 a unit.

Vatino has a production capacity of 100,000 panels a month.

For more information, please contact the company at: 11-2 Fl., No. 1239, Jung Ming South Road, Taichung, Taiwan; Tel: 886-4- 2282-0018; Fax: 886-4-2287-1269; E-mail: michael@vatino-tw.com; Website: www.vatino-tw.com