Beijing opens Olympics with LED display
Melissa Hillebrand -- Consulting-Specifying Engineer, 8/15/2008
About 840 million people worldwide watched the opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics, making it the most-watched sporting event in history.
The centerpiece of the event was a 480 by 72-ft screen with 44,000 embedded LED beads that was laid in the center of the National Stadium, also called the “Bird’s Nest.” That screen, combined with a ring of LED panels that surrounded the upper deck of the stadium, delivered a light and multimedia video show. The screen moved with the performers, creating the image of a scroll that displayed images of Chinese history and culture. Storage cells provided backup electricity.
LED beads also were embedded in the costumes of performers who spread in various directions to create the illusion of a falling starry sky and a brightly lit Bird’s Nest.
More photos of the opening ceremonies can be viewed at the
Beijing 2008 Olympics website.
