Windowless Plane Views Almost a Reality

By Samantha Pitkin on October 27, 2014

According to recent reports, and a lengthy article on Buzzfeed, the Centre for Process Innovation (CPI) is working on models and computer prototypes for a “windowless plane.” If you have claustrophobia I would stop reading now, because the windowless plane is exactly what it sounds like, a plane with just walls and zero windows.

The CPI plans on making the inside of the plane walls giant OLED screens, which would portray “panoramic views captured by cameras mounted on the plane’s exterior.” In addition to this, the plane will have it’s own internet access and the usual “in-flight entertainment” which is accessible through the touch screens on the back of each headrest. Passengers can even tap the OLED screens to change the scenery based on location or what they want to look at.

According to The Guardian, “you could have a display next to a seat if you wanted it; you could have a blank area next to a seat if you wanted it; you would have complete flexibility as to where you put [the panel screens].”

While all of this sounds like something that is being done purely for entertainment purposes, it’s actually extremely beneficial for the engineering of the plane. Taking windows out of the equation makes the plane lighter, which translates to reduced cost for both the passengers and the airline itself. According to the CPI, “over 3 billion people fly around the world every year, using 220,000 gallons of fuel and producing over 705 millions tons of CO2.”

Ever since Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth,” climate change and global warming have been very real, and very scary threats to our globe. In the interest of the conservation of energy, this windowless plane is one more step towards finding alternatives for fossil fuels.

The OLED’s, also known as organic light-emitting diodes, do not require a “backlight” like other screen systems such as LCD’s. They are much thinner and require less energy to power. The designers of the OLED have high hopes for the product, as they can effectively be used almost like wallpaper, “turning walls into lights.”

Don’t get too excited though, we’re still almost a decade away from seeing this technology being put to use. Take these next 10 years to enjoy your non-synthetic views up in the clouds.

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