For those who can’t wait to peer outside an airplane window again, there is a new pandemic-era gadget: Sky Scape.
Sky Scape provides a 22-inch high-resolution display surrounded by a plastic frame, similar to those used in passenger aircraft, to enhance the home and workplace experience while many organizations around the world remain under restrictions to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It is created by two Japanese companies, Joled Inc., a manufacturer of OLED displays, and LandSkip Inc., a digital display and installation designer.
Demand for new experiences
A sold-out flight to nowhere, along with in-flight meals on grounded planes, show healthy demand for experiences that many people across the globe haven’t been able to savor for months. Although development of the Sky Scape began well before the pandemic, the timing turned out right for the current environment, according to Kazuki Shimomura, LandSkip’s chief executive officer.
“I’ve found that it really helps with concentration,” Mr. Shimomura said. “Time passes in a very productive way.”
A tool for relaxation
Sky Scape, initially created as a relaxation tool like the other products of LandSkip, mimics a plane ascending and descending from sunrise to sunset through clouds. There are no views of airports, cities or runways. The screen will be available as a rental-style subscription service, with a fee that, according to Mr. Shimomura, will be lower than the average monthly fee of about $290 for LandSkip’s larger digital window displays installed in offices, hospitals and hotels.
Joled was created in 2015 when it combined the OLED operations of Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp., and began mass production of OLED screens using ink-jet technology last year. Thinner and more energy efficient, organic light-emitting diode panels produce deeper colors because the pixels glow on their own, while liquid-crystal displays require a backlight.
“We wanted to get our panels into the hands of many users while enhancing their value,” said Masayuki Ono, Joled’s director of business development. Most of the initial inquiries for Sky Scape have come from coworking office operators, although some individuals have expressed interest.
For those stressed out by the idea of having an airplane window near their desk day after day, Joled and LandSkip offers a sister product called Terra Bonsai, a rectangular window with a wooden frame that displays a virtual bonsai tree that hovers and flowers, aimed at offering a relaxing respite from work.
