Wide-angle projection lenses

  The Discoscan
  Patented, Award-winning technology
  Video showing these products in action
  Frequently Asked Questions


  Discoscan overview PDF
  Wide Angle Scanning user forum
  LD2000 main page

Pangolin introduces a new way to add wide angle capability and unmatched versatility to a laser projector: The Discoscan projection lens! This product is sold as an OEM device that can be added to an existing projector or built-into a new projector design.

The newest, most versatile way to make a laser projector

The Discoscan Lens allows you to create an "electronic mirror ball", capable of scanning laser beams anywhere in a 360 degree circle.

• Imagine a plane of light starting at the ceiling, coming down all four walls, and finally converging as a cone on the center of your dance floor...

• Imagine a galaxy of beams shooting into every corner of your night club, making every customer feel like they are a part of the show...

• Imagine laser beams swirling around the room, completely filling the air like rain fills the sky...

Conventional laser projectors are limited. At most, they can scan at around 60 degrees at a time. And while some projectors are on a swivel "yoke" base so they can aim anywhere in a room, they are still limited to projecting only in a single direction at a time.

The Discoscan is completely different. Aside from the standard X-Y scanners, there are no moving parts. Instead, this is a patented, omni-directional projection lens technology that can scan anywhere in a complete circle, 360 degrees around, all at once.

No other device can produce the kinds of effects possible with The Discoscan. Not even conventional lighting projectors can do what this will do -- fill an entire room with shaped beams of light. The Discoscan gives any venue a unique, high-tech look.
 

The Discoscan

The Discoscan is a wide angle lens array product that is attached to a laser projector. The result is that The Discoscan projects beam effects over a 180-degree by 360-degree area, in the direction of the X-Y scanners.

The Discoscan creates images simply by using a lens array to amplify the original scan angle of the X-Y scanners. For discotheque installations, normally the scanners are pointing downward, and the projected imagery is also pointing downward, but with the additional capability of projecting up to the horizon, and all around the room.

The Discoscan will fill an entire room with shaped beams of light giving your night club or discotheque a unique, high tech look. And The Discoscan will work with any laser projector that uses X-Y scanners. Whether you use a single color laser or a white light laser that generates a rainbow of colors, simply attach one of these lenses and engulf your audience in brilliant laser light.
 

Patented, Award-winning technology

The Discoscan was developed and patented by Audio Visual Imagineering, Inc. (AVI), an internationally recognized leader in laser engineering and custom laser show production. The Discoscan is based on the same technology that won AVI a First Place ILDA Award for New Technology in 1991 and a Third Place ILDA Award for New Technology in 1993.
 

Video showing our wide angle lenses in action!

The few words and pictures seen on this web page can not come close to showing the excitement and intensity that your customers will experience when they view lasers projected with these devices. So Pangolin has produced a video that shows wide angle scanning in action. Even though the video was shot in a relatively small laser studio, you can still see the vast array of effects that are possible and how simple a projector can be that uses this technology.

• Click here to view the 12MB Windows Media Player 9 file (requires Windows Media Player version 9, which is available on the newest PCs and also downloadable if you click on the link to the left).

Note: You can left click on the link above to view the movie, or right click the link and select "Save Target As" to download it.
 

Frequently asked questions

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers about The Discoscan:

Pricing and Availability

What is the price of The Discoscan?

The suggested list price of The Discoscan is $1795. These prices are drastically reduced from our original prices due to newer and more streamlined manufacturing techniques.
 

What is included in the price?

The price includes the cost of the lens system and mounting hardware. The price does NOT include X-Y scanners or any other projection hardware.
 

If I place an order for The Discoscan, when can I expect delivery?

Normally, Pangolin can ship within one week from the time of order.
 

Can I order through my favorite Pangolin dealer?

Yes! You can order The Discoscan through Pangolin or through any Pangolin dealer listed on our web site.
 

Performance

Since these devices are placed in front of my X-Y scanners, how wide must the scan angle be from my X-Y scanners, to cover the maximum area from these devices?

The Discoscan requires an input scan angle of 30 to 35 degrees to cover the full range of output scan angles.
 

Does the beam diameter or shape change when projected through one of these lenses?

Yes, but it depends on the beam quality coming from your laser or fiber. In general, any device that amplifies the scan angle will also effectively amplify the beam divergence. And there may be some elipticity at the outer edges of the scan field from both devices. However, these lenses have been specifically designed to keep these distortions to a minimum and also, these lenses are primarily intended for beam effects where distortions would generally go unnoticed anyway.
        In addition, increasing beam divergence actually makes audience scanning displays safer. For more details about laser safety, see the laser safety section of our Laser Resource Guide.

What about laser graphics applications?
 

As shown in the pictures and the video, it is certainly possible to project laser graphics with The Discoscan. However, as mentioned above, the quality of the projected image is highly dependent on the quality of the beam from your laser or fiber. Therefore under the wrong circumstances, graphics may appear "fuzzy" or "blurry" depending on these factors and also depending on the distance from the projector to the projection surface.
 

Are there any limitations on laser power?

The Discoscan has some limitations related to the coatings used on the lens, but these would generally only be seen when using very high power pulsed lasers. Please contact Pangolin to discuss the details of your specific needs.