Vandalism is a constant challenge within the public street furniture and Digital out of Home (DooH) industries, and we are not an exclusion.
After 21+ years and 27,000+ deployments, we have seen a lot, from vehicles being driven straight into our units, tire irons being used to bash in our displays, spray paint graffiti, acid etching, displays being beaten with chains, pommeled by rocks, shot by bullets, cover glass carved by diamond rings, knives, etc.
As a result, BoldVu® by MRI has developed several lines of defense and intelligent reporting to minimize vandalism damage and provide timely automated reporting of potential vandalism events, as well as cost effective means of dealing with the inevitable.
ShockVu™
As a 1st line of defense, all BoldVu® products contain MEM sensor(s) that detect mechanical shock and provide a ShockVu™ alert. Recently we have offered to turn the display black, or “play dead”, for a configurable amount of time (typically 5 minutes), following a ShockVu™ alert. Based upon customer feedback, this seems to reduce the frequency/severity of damage to the BoldVu® units. Vandals think they have broken the display and move on before inflicting sufficient damage to warrant a field technician visit. Additionally, an alert is sent via our SmartVu® portal to the MRI and customer Network Operational Centers (NOCs).
IK10 Certified ToughVu®
Next, our ToughVu® LCD cover glass, is 2 or more sheets of AR (anti-reflective) glass laminated together to form a 12.9mm (0.5”) or thicker laminated stack (like a car windshield … only stronger/tougher). ToughVu® is IK10 certified and in addition to surviving the steel ball drop test without damage, it will survive unscathed with shots fired from 3 meters (10 feet) from small caliber guns, as well as pellets and BBs. The outermost surface of the ToughVu® glass is titanium oxide coated, which enhances the clean-ability of the glass and is resistant to aggressive solvents like MEK or acetone which can be safely used to clean off spray paint graffiti (just be careful not to get such solvents on adjacent paint finishes).
If the ToughVu® glass becomes broken, it won’t shard since it consists of at least 2 sheets of laminated glass, and typically the weather integrity of the LCD and associated electronics is maintained, reducing the cost of repair simply to the field replacement of the broken ToughVu® glass.
It should be noted that since 2008, after fielding thousands of displays, BoldVu® by MRI stopped using cover glass bonded directly to the LCD. This was based upon a multitude of reasons:
1. The need to substantially reduce the touch temperatures on the surface of the cover glass. Simply put, it is not possible to meet UL, CE, CSA and other safety agency touch temperature requirements with an optically bonded cover glass on a large format outdoor LCD exposed to direct sunlight.
2. The need to substantially reduce LCD temperatures and stress on the edge seal of the LCD.
Competitive displays, using cover glass optically bonded to the LCD often experience a browning or yellowing of the image after being exposed to prolonged sunlight. This is clear evidence that the LCD is experiencing operational temperatures well above its capability. This is NEVER exhibited on current generation BoldVu® products.
Competitive displays, using cover glass optically bonded to the LCD, often experience LCD cell breach or “black circles/bubbles” in the image or a vertical streaking/“crying look”. This is what the industry calls LCD “cell breach”. It is permanent and irreparable without compete replacement of the LCD cell.
What has happened is the LCD edge seal has cracked or delaminated, resulting in LCD fluid leaking out of the cell and being replaced by air. Every “black” circle or vertical streak /“tear” is air inside the LCD cell. Optically bonding the cover glass to the LCD cell puts tremendous mechanical stress on the LCD edge seal, which when combined with excessive LCD temperatures, can significantly contribute to LCD cell breach. This is RARELY exhibited on current generation BoldVu® products.
3. Replacement of vandalized cover glass on optically bonded displays is extremely expensive. Not only will the LCD be destroyed and need replacing, but weather integrity is typically lost allowing rain, moisture, dust, etc. to enter the entire display assembly often leading to the entire unit needing to be replaced. Again, BoldVu® abandoned the use of optically bonded cover glass more than a decade ago.
ClipVu™
Beginning in 2025, specifically to reduce the cost of replacement of vandalized cover glass, all BoldVu® products now come standard with ClipVu™. Rather than bonding the glass to the BoldVu® door frames, ClipVu™ retains the ToughVu® glass with mechanical clips secured from the inside of the ToughVu® door(s). When the ToughVu® glass becomes broken, field replacement onsite is readily facilitated by replacement of the entire “clipped” ToughVu® door assembly by the removal/replacement from the inside of 4 door frame retaining nuts.
Once back at any local facility, the broken glass in the ToughVu® door assembly is efficiently refurbished by removal/replacement of the ClipVu® retaining features from the inside of the door frame, along with the removal/replacement of the broken glass. This refurbished ToughVu® door assembly is then ready in market for the inevitable next broken cover glass event.
SealVu®
BoldVu® monitors internal air pressure relative to exterior barometric pressure 24/7. This SealVu® feature alerts via SmartVu® anytime the IP66 integrity of the BoldVu® product is breached, whether by vandalized/broken cover glass, doors being pried open, holes being drilled into the product, etc. If the BoldVu® has been severely vandalized, the customer and MRI will know immediately!
LockVu®
All BoldVu® access doors are equipped with 3 electronic sensors to ensure every door closed and securely latched. Whether struct by a vehicle, pried open or inadvertently left ajar, LockVu®, combined with SealVu® will immediately alert customers via SmartVu® that the BoldVu® product may have been compromised.
AAMA 2605 Certified Powder Coat Exterior Finish
Additionally, the exterior finishes of the BoldVu® product have a powder coat paint finish. Not only is powder coat paint (think outdoor playground equipment) durable and resistant to vandalism, the process applied to BoldVu® is AAMA 2605 certified for south Florida 10+ year durability in the outdoor environment. At an extra cost, BoldVu® can also be provided with brushed stainless steel exterior cladding.
No ferrous materials used by BoldVu®
Should surfaces of the BoldVu® product become chipped, scratched, nicked, etc., they can typically be touched up with color matched aerosol or brush applied paint. BoldVu® uses only stainless steel for structural components and aluminum for all weather integrity or thermal management components. BoldVu® will not rust or corrode.
Summary
Ultimately, as frustrating as vandalism is, it is an inevitable part of owning and operating physical public assets. Few measures can be taken to prevent it.
However, based upon extensive experience gained over 21+ years, 27,000+ globally deployed displays, and 17 generations of product evolution incorporating real world lessons learned, BoldVu®, more than any competitive product, has demonstrated time and again its resistance to vandalism.
Combine this resistance with immediate autonomous notification via SmartVu® of a potential vandalism incident, ability to remotely analyze the nature and extent of the vandalism, and the ability to efficiently dispatch field service technicians equipped to restore the vandalized BoldVu® to full operation, without removing and shipping it to a service facility, translates to a greatly reduced Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), much higher rate cards and 99%+ BoldVu® up time.
For the past 2 decades and counting, BoldVu® is the proven, 10+ year, 24/7 outdoor LCD solution available to the DooH industry.
