People often wonder what it would be like to float in the air. Well, Sigulda, Latvia is one place they could visit to find out. Drawing on the enthusiasm for experiment, risk, excitement and technological advances at one company, the project dubbed ‘Development of a Mobile Wind Tunnel Prototype’ has taken humans and technology to new heights. The success of the project’s technological development is evident in the fact that it has been sold to more than 10 countries.
- 22 December 2009
The technological progress made as a result of this project has brought job security as well as international recognition for our company.
The main idea behind the project was to find technological solutions that would enable the construction of an open-air wind tunnel suitable for show business, including stunt shows for the public. Aerodium was the company that rose to the occasion, and in 2006 became widely recognised after its machine was used in the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Torino.
Not for the faint-hearted
The project aim was to develop a mobile, vertical wind tunnel prototype and produce a device ready for distribution beyond Latvia’s borders. The pioneering spirit of the company Aerodium, based in the popular tourism region of Sigulda, was what was needed. The company owns and runs the first ever vertical wind tunnel in Eastern Europe. The spectacular Olympic Games show that brought it renown featured flying acrobats in a tunnel blowing a wind stream of 200 km/h within a diameter of 3.7 metres.
The main challenges were to make the electrical device truly portable and easy to transport from one show to other. The developers also needed to improve the air quality of the wind tunnel and boost its level of power, all the while ensuring safety. Given the challenges inherent in such a project, several scientists were brought into the team during the development process. The technological superiority of the final result was so dominant, that the Latvian company eventually took over its parent company Aerodium Canada in 2009.
Educating through entertainment
The finished product soon attracted attention, with the Ministry of Education filming it and producing an educational movie for schools explaining the physics of aerodynamics. The prototype was also extensively used for training flying acrobats. Since the project was completed, Latvia has become the leading country in this very specialist industry and its know-how is now recognised worldwide.
A design with many uses
The 50 staff at Aerodium are reaping the benefits of the project’s success in terms of job security as well as insight into understanding the technology. Subcontractors are also gaining from the development through the rise in exports of the equipment. Apart from the entertainment industry now being able to offer more breathtaking excitement to the public, the military is also using the device, in this case for sky diver training.