Pharos Helps Bring The Smurfs' Adventure to Life at Plopsaland Deutschland

	"We needed a control solution that was reliable and easy to integrate across the entire ride environment. Pharos delivered exactly that," says Mampaey.

Pharos Architectural Controls products are playing a key role in the immersive indoor Smurf-themed experience at Plopsaland Deutschland.

One of the major family theme park destinations in Germany and part of the Plopsa Group portfolio, Plopsaland combines popular children's entertainment brands with large-scale attractions, drawing families from across Germany, France, and the Benelux region. A recent addition to the park is The Smurfs' Adventure ride, a journey through the fun and lively world of the Smurfs, where visitors join the gang on an exciting adventure.

To bring the new ride to life, Lux Lumen was appointed to the project. The firm supplied and installed over 400 custom fixtures across 11 cabinets, each with individual control via an Art-Net network, allowing precise, independent manipulation of multiple lighting fixtures and devices. A single four-universe Pharos Designer LPC controls all custom full-RDM light fixtures.

The LPC also triggers all audio, video, and projection systems, special effects, aroma scent machines, and animatronics, creating a fully immersive adventure for visitors. It also integrates with the operator console for ride operation and system monitoring, the keyswitch system for secure mode selection and activation, and the EVAC interface to ensure coordinated emergency shutdown and evacuation responses when required.

The LPC, the first product developed by Pharos, is still its most popular controller. Originally designed for theme parks in the US, it combines lighting control and show control in a compact package. It features individually controllable and independently running timelines and scenes, and offers the freedom of real-time manual overrides, with the versatility of powerful show control and integration features.

Integration was the responsibility of Pieter Dewaegeneere at Plopsa, who had previously been trained by Lux Lumen on Pharos technology. Lux Lumen also assisted with programming and delivered tech support for Pharos products at the theme park.

Tom Mampaey, R&D engineer at Lux Lumen, says, "The Smurfs' Adventure is a fantastic example of how integrated technology can transform a themed attraction into a truly immersive experience. We needed a control solution that was reliable and easy to integrate across the entire ride environment. Pharos delivered exactly that. The flexibility and robustness of the Designer LPC allowed us to create precise synchronization between all show elements, helping bring the world of the Smurfs to life for every visitor."

Ryan Sainsbury, regional sales manager for the UK, Ireland, Northern Europe, and Benelux at Pharos, adds, "It was great to see Pharos solutions being used on The Smurfs' Adventure ride; it's a pleasure knowing that we are helping to create memorable experiences at Plopsaland Deutschland. The Designer LPC is an incredible piece of kit -- remaining small in profile yet powerful, flexible, and dynamic. It has delivered everything required for this immersive ride and demonstrates the suitability of the LPC for theme parks and similar tourist attractions across the globe."