Mexico. Teaching a higher education class without using audiovisual content is practically inconceivable for the Anahuac Mayab University, so it has the necessary resources for teachers and students to present their ideas.
In addition, the house of studies understands the value of using sustainable technologies that contribute to the conservation of the environment. That is why, after evaluating technological options for image deployment that are ecologically friendly, the university decided to incorporate a large number of Casio LampFree projectors to equip dozens of spaces, among which the new classrooms of the School of Medicine building stand out.
Located in Merida, Yucatan, Universidad Anáhuac Mayab (1984) is one of the most prestigious educational institutions in southeastern Mexico. To date, its educational offer consists of 24 bachelor's degrees, 17 master's degrees, 4 doctorates, as well as refresher courses and university extension.
To cater to this variety of educational programs, the university remains at the forefront of the pedagogical and technological trends of the teaching-learning process. To them, it has added that of sustainability and respect for the environment. An example of its application is the Casio projector integration project in its classrooms, which provides concrete benefits in all three areas.
At the beginning of 2016, the Anahuac Mayab University began a project to renovate its inventory of projectors. To do this, he entrusted the task to the Mexican company BlueBytes, an integrator authorized by Casio Mexico for its line of projectors, which has extensive experience in the development of sustainable solutions for air conditioning, LED lighting and audiovisual systems.
In the first phase of the project, 50 Casio LampFree projectors model XJ-V1 were installed in different classrooms, auditoriums and administrative spaces on campus.
For the second phase, BlueBytes integrated an audiovisual solution for each of the 27 new classrooms in the School of Medicine building. In this case it was decided by Casio LampFree projectors model XJ-UT310WN ultra-short throw. The integral solution included the installation of electrical screens to display images up to 100 inches, connection panel, channeling for electrical wiring and HDMI and VGA signals.
A projector, a pedagogical need
To facilitate the use of equipment and speed up the start of classes, each of the classrooms has a panel of connections on the podium, in this way the teacher uses his own laptop to project the contents of the day. In addition, simultaneously and wirelessly from their mobile devices, up to 4 students can send multimedia content, documents or web pages to the same projector.
In the classrooms of the School of Medicine, ultra-short throw projectors have been enthusiastically received by teachers, since they can now stand right on the side of the screen without the light from the projector generating shadows or directly impacting their eyes. This allows them to move freely and make eye contact with their students, resulting in a more dynamic class.
"We can't even think of a classroom not having a projector and network, teachers prepare their class in an audiovisual way and students always participate with their laptops and tablets," says Jazmine Peraza, head of Computational Services at the Anahuac Mayab University, who holds a Master's Degree in Education Sciences from the same institution.
The requirement of sustainability
The two models of Casio projectors offer the benefits of the LampFree concept, consisting of an innovative SSI (Solid State Illumination) light source, which combines laser and LED technologies. This hybrid light source is friendly to the environment since its energy consumption is very low and free of mercury, a great differentiator compared to conventional projectors that use lamp as a lighting source
It should be noted that the mercury contained in the lamps of conventional projectors is one of the most dangerous contaminants in water. "During the planning of the integral project, the university emphasized the use of ecological equipment, with maximum energy savings and that contribute in a real way to the care of the environment, especially in Mérida, where the water table is only 6 meters deep," says José Carlos Mena, general director at BlueBytes.
Both models include a function to adjust the brightness level of the projection. This allows for a further reduction in energy consumption. In this way, with the brightest adjustment value the consumption is 230W and only 110W with the least bright adjustment value.
All these features make the useful life of the projectors extra-long duration, at least 20 thousand hours. This translates to 10,000 2-hour presentations or about 15 years of 6-hour presentations daily for 220 days a year.
Technology Guarantee
In addition to the pedagogical and sustainable arguments, the university also requested that the projectors meet certain technical specifications in which maintenance and total cost of ownership (TCO) were attractive.
These requirements were the simplest to meet, as all Casio projectors are manufactured in Japan under strict quality standards that allow to offer three years of warranty on parts and labor, and three years or 10 thousand hours of use for the warranty of the lighting source, whichever comes first. Strong arguments against the 90-day guarantee on lamps from other manufacturers.
The hybrid light source not only eliminates the use of lamp, because by generating very little heat, it is not necessary to have a fan. In addition to this, its design and components require minimal maintenance and the sum of its particularities results in an attractive total cost of ownership.
Currently, the Anahuac Mayab University has more than 80 rooms prepared with audiovisual tools, so the cost of maintenance could be a heavy burden. "It is common for educational institutions to find a cemetery of projectors. This is because, many times, the cost of replacing the lamp is taken lightly," says the young director of BlueBytes.
The quality of service of BlueBytes was a key point in the realization of this project. "For our institution it is vital to have suppliers willing to deliver pre-sales advice and after-sales maintenance of immediate response; we are always looking for companies that are committed to a long-term business relationship. Fortunately, BlueBytes more than met expectations," adds Jazmine Peraza.
To choose is to renounce
"The Anahuac Mayab University knew how to choose and give up, although there are other brands of projectors that offer similar specifications, it does not mean that they are sustainable equipment. The renunciation of conventional products and opting for the technological and sustainable development of Casio detonates a trend that makes a difference and offers opportunities to the institution, in principle, to execute with real actions its commitment to the environment, "says José Carlos Mena of BlueBytes
"The objective, by the end of this year, is to renew the audiovisual system of the rest of the rooms, with projector and screen; according to our experience we want everyone to be Casio", concludes Jazmine Peraza of the Anahuac Mayab University.
Casio projectors at universidad Anáhuac Mayab
• 27 Casio LampFree XJ-UT310WN ultra-short throw projectors for installation at a minimum distance of 40 cm from the screen and display of images from 50 to 110 inches in 16:10 widescreen format. DLP technology, WXGA resolution and 3,100 lumens brightness. Internal memory of 2GB. HDMI connectivity, Serial port, USB, composite video, audio I/O, microphone and LAN port to connect to Ethernet networks, among others.
• 50 Casio LampFree XJ-V1 projectors with DLP technology, XGA resolution and 2,700 lumens of brightness. HDMI connectivity, Serial port, audio I/O and RS-232C control.
