Niagara Falls
Breath-taking waterfalls on the US and Canadian border, this popular tourist attraction has been illuminated for decades using various technologies, but has now been upgraded to LED, using Pharos controllers and connected for immediate remote feedback, monitoring and support by Pharos Cloud.
- The Falls need to have the most up-to-date, technologically advanced systems to deliver unparalleled visual effects for visitors
- 1,400 individual luminaires light the falls, located at three sites on the Canadian side
- A Pharos LPC 4 controls the falls lighting, in concert with Pathway backup devices for easy local engineering override
- The Niagara Falls’ team have live control with operators running the falls each evening, via two touchscreens connected to the lighting system – with interfaces designed by Pharos – and they can program unique settings for special occasions and holidays on the fly
- The system runs fully automated, usually between midnight and 2am
- VIPs and members of the public are also be invited to interact with the falls by selecting colour and effects on the touchscreens for unique visitor opportunities
- Toronto-based programmer is able to make quick lighting changes from home via Pharos Cloud
- The Pharos Cloud portal has also been invaluable to the system integrators continuing to support this high-profile site, with instant emails alerting them to possible faults which mean they can assess the status of all the control equipment and network from their phone – anywhere, any time – and then mobilise a team to deal with the situation, such as when it was suspected that a raccoon chewed through a fibre network cable!
Read more about the illumination of Niagara Falls in our project news story.
Watch this video for more details about this project and the collaboration between Pathway Connectivity, Pharos Controls and SixEye to provide control to the lighting on The Niagara Falls.
Robert Bell of Pathway also discusses the installation towards the end of his interview with us as part of our 20th anniversary celebrations here.
Project year: 2020
Lighting Control System: Pharos Architectural Controls
Robert Bell of Pathway Connectivity: Network and SixEye integration
Jack Neill of SixEye: Cloud support
Scott Cain of Pharos: Touchscreen Designer
Linus Mac Donald: Lighting Consultant for NFIB
Slobadan Marin: Programmer
Network: Pathway Connectivity VIA switches and Pathport Gateway
Backup: Pathway Connectivity Vignette
Photos: © Niagara Falls Illumination Board
