Toronto, Canada – SANYO Canada Inc. (SANYO), a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd., announces that its sun light readable, weatherproof CE52SRI 52” industrial-grade monitors have been selected for use as guide monitors at the highly popular and respected Toronto Zoo, and have already been installed ready to greet and guide visitors.
The Toronto Zoo, situated in the beautiful Rouge Valley covering a land area of 287 hectares (710-acres) of incredible nature, is one of the largest zoos in the world, the 2nd largest in North America. The zoo is respected for its interactive education and conservation activities and is home to more than 5,000 animals. Each year there are more than 1.3 million visitors that come to spend hours of adventure and fun together.
In order to ensure that visitors are informed of daily special attractions, which animals are unavailable to view, which restaurants are open, upcoming attractions or events and where the guest services are, the Zoo has decided to display the information on Outdoor Monitors, viewable at the main gate in all types of weather conditions, year round.
“Some of the challenges a zoo faces with using technology in situations like this are weather conditions, daylight [brightness] conditions, insects, dust and dirt to mention a few,” said Charles Duncan, Manager of Computer & Telecom Services for the Toronto Zoo. “When the Toronto Zoo went out to market to find a monitor supplier, SANYO was chosen because the new line up of Sun Light Readable Weatherproof monitors addressed all our concerns and challenges.”
The CE52SRI 52” Sun Light Readable Weatherproof monitors, sold with a 3-year warranty for parts and labor, are able to overcome the common challenges of being placed outside at places like zoos because of the “no holes ventilation system” that completely seals the monitor from pesky insects, dust and dirt associated with the outside. The monitors are also IP66 industry standard, approved to keep out dust and withstand harsh weather conditions including water from rain or temperatures ranging between -20c (with winter mode) to 45c. With the bright sun beaming down or bright light reflecting off the snow, the industrial-grade monitors are equipped with Sun Light readable panels that have a brightness of more than 1000 (cdm2 for panel), with a reflective layer behind the LCD panel to help brighten the image, making it easy to see and read under almost any conditions.
With the large area the zoo covers, the monitors also allow multiple screens to be controlled by a single source, with up to 25 monitors off a single input. This allows for future upgrades if necessary to accommodate growth of other animals/exhibits to join the zoo. The monitors can be turned on/off at different times as well as have the content changed on the fly even offering remote diagnostic functionality, so the controls can all come from a single office if necessary.
“These weatherproof monitors are really built to stand up to the rigors and challenges of outdoor use, while still being future proof by allowing new monitors to be added later as needed,” comments Koshi Terakawa, President of SANYO Canada Inc. “During the installation with temperatures dipping to -20c and rain, the Electronic Presentation Group Inc., chosen to perform the installation, reported that even the zoo was surprised that in those conditions the monitors performed as expected. We are pleased to offer this type of expandable solution to the zoo, and know that their customers will really benefit from these guides.”
SANYO will remain a solutions provider for environments such as zoos as it moves forward as a leading company for energy and environment.
About the Toronto Zoo
The Toronto Zoo, open to the public since 1974, features six zoogeographic regions; Indo-Malaya, Africa, The Americas, Australasia, Eurasia and the Canadian Domain.
Among its many displays, visitors can explore the award-winning African Savanna, the largest indoor Gorilla Rainforest Exhibit in North America, the Discovery Zone, and the new Great Barrier Reef exhibits in the recently renovated Australasia pavilion. Soon to open is a spectacular interactive exhibit “Sharks at Stingray Bay” and after a 2-year wait, the new 10 acre Tundra Trek featuring a state-of-the-art Polar bear exhibit.
The Zoo offers dynamic, interactive wildlife experiences, including daily keeper talks, day camps in the summer, animal demonstrations in the beautiful outdoor Waterside Theatre and year-round special events and attractions.
About SANYO
SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. is a global, multi-billion dollar leading company for energy and environment, providing solutions for environment, energy and for lifestyle applications based on its brand vision 'Think GAIA.' SANYO Canada Inc. (a subsidiary of SANYO Electric Co., Ltd.), established in 1958, is based in Concord, Ontario (a business suburb north of Toronto). SANYO Canada is a service and sales company that markets and sells a variety commercial and consumer solutions including rechargeable batteries, solar modules, HVAC, digital projectors, dual cameras, digital still cameras, home appliances, security video equipment, audio systems, portable and mobile electronics and HD televisions and monitors. For more information, please visit http://ca.sanyo.com or http://fr.ca.sanyo.com .