TAG Active, a designer of obstacle course activity games, has been commissioned by Center Parcs to gamify the Adventure Nets at Longleat Forest holiday village.<\/p>\n
With a format that has been rolled out at venues worldwide, players tag a wristband against an illuminated RFID transponder to score points. At Longleat, Adventure Nets are set high in the trees, so TAG Active\u2019s electronics must be protected in a durable, rain-proof enclosure that prevents condensation<\/p>\n
Players collect points by \u2018tagging\u2019 an electronic transponder with their wristband. These transponder \u2018tags\u2019 are positioned in high and hard-to-reach areas, as well as low and easier-to-access locations, with points awarded according to difficulty.<\/p>\n
TAG Active technology<\/span><\/p>\n For the first time, Center Parcs has expanded its TAG Active games to an outdoor location with the gamification of Adventure Nets at Center Parcs Longleat Forest. High up in the trees, Adventure Nets hosts a series of suspended nets, tunnels, a ball zone and treehouses. Within this maze of activities, points can be collected from \u2018tags\u2019 positioned throughout the course.<\/p>\n The proprietary technology behind TAG Active\u2019s games involves a transponder that runs on Power over Ethernet (PoE), enabling a single, low voltage cable to carry power to the unit, as well as data communications. This removes the distance or interference challenges of Bluetooth or WiFi. A player\u2019s wristband communicates with the transponder via RFID, comprising a microprocessor with a custom-designed aerial.<\/p>\n To signal a successful \u2018tag\u2019, an LED colour matrix presents a range of graphics, while the transponder communicates with management software. This not only manages the game in terms of players, teams and points, but it can also present data based on user profile. This valuable analysis can help venues better understand player behaviour, matching games for the target audience to enhance commercial success.<\/p>\n All-weather protection<\/span><\/p>\n To protect the custom electronics of the transponder for all-weather, outdoor use, a durable enclosure was required.<\/p>\n \u201cFor the demands of Center Parcs Longleat Forest, we needed an entirely new enclosure for our transponders,\u201d says Stuart Smith, Technical & Product Director at TAG Active. \u201cThe box had to be waterproof and able to protect the electronics from impact, and, considering the importance of the Center Parcs brand, the look had to fit as well.\u201d<\/p>\n TAG Active turned to Spelsberg and partnered with the industrial enclosure manufacturer directly to benefit from its engineering expertise for this high-profile project. To house the transponder, Spelsberg specified a TK enclosure.<\/p>\n Manufactured from polystyrene, this lightweight material would enable easy handling during installation but would also achieve robust IK07 impact resistance to protect from player collision \u2013 potentially involving fully grown adults, running at speed \u2013 damaging the electronics inside. To protect in all weathers, the housing also achieves IP66 to prevent the ingress of high-pressure water streams. This sealing is maintained even with a rear cable entry point, which is protected by a specially designed flange<\/p>\n During extensive, six-month winter testing, the waterproofing of the sealed unit when faced with the sun\u2019s heat, inevitably caused an element of condensation, but this challenge was quickly resolved.<\/p>\n \u201cSpelsberg installed a one-way grommet, allowing traces of moisture to escape, and this effective design removed the issue. Engineering advice like this was an advantage of working directly with Spelsberg,\u201d says Stuart.<\/p>\n Rapid enclosure availability<\/span><\/p>\n The project required the rapid availability of 24 enclosures, required to fit Center Parc\u2019s constrained time window. The existing Adventure Nets area had to be closed while installation of the TAG Active hardware could take place, but reopening in time for the busy holiday season was an essential business need. With a large warehouse at its central England location, Spelsberg UK was able to quickly fulfil the order.<\/p>\n \u201cWorking with our installer, the enclosures were fast to integrate into the Adventure Nets, and they\u2019ve provided the protection we need since then,\u201d says Stuart.<\/p>\n The new TAG Active installation was launched at Center Parcs Longleat Forest in July, and the location has received a high number of players. As a result of this success, Center Parcs is looking to expand the TAG Active concept across other locations within its family of holiday villages.<\/p>\n