NTT Docomo has created a new kind of display tech that comprises of LEDs arranged on a sphere and flown with the help of a drone. The sphere rotates horizontally to create an illusion of a display to the viewer. Docomo expects to bring the tech to the market by March 2019.
People are talking about curved screens and potential holographic displays in the making. Well, the latest tech by NTT Docomo comes straight out a Sci-Fi movie. And I bet, this crazy stuff is even beyond those movies.

Spotted by Engadget, Docomo’s Spherical Drone Display comprises of an internal LED frame, arranged vertically, housed inside an external metal frame. At the center of the sphere sits a drone which can be remotely controlled to take the display anywhere. The 3.4Kg device has a display resolution of 144 pixels high and 136 pixels wide along the circumference.

“During the flight, the LED frame spins on its axis in a rapid horizontal motion, forming an afterimage effect to create the illusion of a solid sphere of motionless LEDs,” Docomo wrote in their blog post.


One of the problems Docomo faced during the development was the display messing with the drone’s airflow. That’s the reason they went for hollow one which also reduced the overall weight of the device.

Docomo has plans to bring the tech to the market by 2019. They will demonstrate their spherical drone display at the NTT Ultra Future Museum 2017 during the Niconico Chokaigi conference, starting April 29.



[fossBytes]