We here at Entertainment Engineering are continually discussing technology and how it’s being used for the purposes of entertainment. But is that really our aim? Of course not. We’ve seen technology move from market to market for years. That’s what the idea of technology transfer is all about. That’s what the military does all the time. We protect our troops and our country using technology that was developed for other businesses. We use gaming technologies to train ground soldiers, motorists, and commercial pilots.

While researching – something we do all the time for this magazine – I found numerous statements illustrating the idea of tech transfer. In more than one article, including those in magazines and newspapers I learned that solar technology came from the aerospace industry until companies came along and tried to figure out how to market it elsewhere.

And right down our line, it’s interesting that theme park technology is not limited to theme parks. These technologies are finding their way into public spaces of all kinds. For example, theme parks were using scanners long before your grocery store. And, did you know that some theme parks are already using the next generation of scanning: fingerprint scanning technology? What businesses do you know are doing that? What high-rise office buildings are using that technology? Well, it’s coming to you soon thanks to its use at a theme park that will be a partner in its development.

Now here’s the part that we not only agree with but have embraced since starting this magazine: “We have actually entered an age where new technology is driven by the entertainment industry.” We’re using quote marks here to illustrate a comment made by numerous technical people writing articles, blogs, and forum entries. One comment we found suggested that “virtually all 3D technology came from the movies.” We don’t know if we agree with statements suggesting ‘all’ technology comes from the entertainment industry, but there is a lot of hand-holding that suggests much of it does so. If you read our cover story for the August issue, you’ll know that Disney has, once again, pushed the envelope in development. In June we discussed the use of industrial robots used to make Terminator Salvation look authentic.

Any technology pushed beyond its present limits will often be used in a theme park, a race car, a roller coaster, or any other field of entertainment. New materials may find a home in the boat racing business or in sports equipment. New sound systems are often developed specifically for companies like Industrial Light and Magic.

Like every issue of Entertainment Engineering, this issue highlights what’s new. What has the potential to change the way companies apply technology that eventually benefits everyone. In this issue we offer articles illustrating the potential of hydraulics when lifting a concert stage, the routing and processing of complex A/V systems, and live TV on the iPhone. We’re committed to the idea that tech transfer is important to all industries, and we’re having fun writing about it.

Terry Persun

terry@entertainmentengineering.com