AEC Engineering was hired to repair the controls and motors that turn the giant 3-story high EARTHA globe, which dominates the lobby of the Garmin building in Yarmouth, ME. EARTHA was the brainchild of David DeLorme, owner/founder of DeLorme Mapping, which was acquired by Garmin in 2016. EARTHA was built in 1998 by DeLorme employees who took over a year to compile the mapping information used on its detailed surface. This massive globe is over 41 ft in diameter and shortly after it was built it was awarded a Guinness Book of Records for the largest rotating globe. EARTHA rotates on two independent axis, which replicate the Earth’s 24-hour rotation as well as its 365-day orbit around the Sun. AEC used Schneider PLCs (programmable logic controllers) and VFDs (variable frequency drives), which interface wirelessly via Phoenix Contact transmit/receivers with the owner’s tablet. The project, which was approved in early March, was quickly beset with challenges associated with the pandemic. However, after those challenges were overcome, we are happy to report that EARTHA is back in orbit. See some good pictures of EARTHA here.
