We live in a golden age of lighting – an era of illumination characterized by new technologies, falling prices, and a seemingly endless stream of new applications. And no light source offers greater flexibility or more opportunities for creativity than LED displays. In fact, the advances in LED technology have been so rapid and far-reaching that even experienced pros find themselves continually surprised by what’s possible today.
Are YOU ready to be surprised? Consider what the latest displays can do. More precisely, imagine what they can do for YOU.
1. Create a 3D LED experience
The LED screen is a 2D plain but the combination of advanced LED panel manufacturing technology and high-power computing can transform it into a multi-dimensional canvas for audience engagement.
Creating a stereoscopic 3D effect requires that images are displayed to the left and right eyes with the slightly different viewpoint perspective each eye would see in real life. To accomplish this, LED screens have to operate at a refresh rate of 120Hz or faster. High-powered graphics computing sends alternating left-eye and right-eye perspectives of a 3D image to the display, which divides them into two perspectives – one for the right eye, one for the left. For the images to look sharp and be free of flicker, each eye must see images that are refreshed 60 times per second or above.
This technology enables virtual reality LED displays that take up a much smaller footprint than projection-based systems. Moreover, LED solutions last up to five times longer than projector.
2. Transform your floor into a digital canvas
Want to really impress your audience? Give them something to look down on. LED floors can offer the same resolution as wall displays but can be ruggedized to whatever degree is necessary.
Imagine you’re doing GIS/mapping work and want to see data naturally from an overhead view. How about an auto-show display that can actually support the weight of an SUV? Perhaps you want to give your audience the experience of walking on Mars or flying above a rainforest. Mechdyne also incorporates LED floors into CAVEs, virtual sets, and a host of other immersive environments that are used to inform, educate and entertain.
From ultra-strong LED glass tiles to panels covered in transparent, wear-resistant silicone, there any number of options to choose from. All combine excellent load-bearing capacity with high brightness, short response time, high stability and a wide viewing angle.
3. Harness the power of touch
Remember when LED displays were fragile? Like LCDs, which can “smear” to the touch, early LED displays were not to be touched. But today’s polymer coatings and overlays, combined with touch-sensitive additions, allow you to add touch at virtually any scale. This enables ruggedized and long-lasting interactivity in settings ranging from museums to customer experience settings.
4. Shape the experience
Think outside the rectangular box. Depending on the LED, any number of screen shapes can be created. From seamless right angles that wrap around buildings to complex curvatures and even spheres, almost any shape is possible. Among the possibilities: LED spherical screens showing a 360° viewing angle with full-scale video playback; perfect, six-sided cubes; gloriously sweeping arcs; circles, cylinders, triangles and fantastical planes. Using special LED modules of varying specifications, LEDs can also be assembled into any text, graphics or logo.
Note that installations of this nature require expertise in the design of the mounting structure, along with knowledge of the computing required to map images to the unique panel configurations and orientations. But if you have the right partner (Mechdyne does this all the time), the results can be nothing short of astonishing.
5. Be fully transparent with your audience
What to really stop people in their tracks? Offer two-sided viewing and interaction with transparent LED displays. Ideal for client experience centers, welcome centers, entertainment experiences and museum displays, transparent LED screens are guaranteed attention grabbers.
When not in use, they look like clear glass. In fact, window glass has a transparency ratio about around 83-90%, and two-sided LED displays can offer up to a 90% transparency ratio. Activate the display, however, and suddenly you’re in a science fiction movie.
Better yet, transparent LED displays are highly energy efficient and offer adjustable screen brightness. Dial them up to 8,000 nits at night, or scale down to 1,500 nits for nighttime and indoor display. The technology is also light weight and easy to install. LED glass and curtains need minimal support from light-weight aluminum back casing frames. LED mesh needs even less of a support structure.
Exercise your imagination – and engage the right partner
LED display technology has charted incredible advances in a short time but achieving the effect you want still requires advanced planning. A multitude of manufacturers offer a daunting array of hardware choices. Then there’s the engineering and integration components necessary to bring novel shapes and configurations to life. And don’t forget about software and programming – essential to presenting your content effectively.
When it comes to LED displays, the only limit is your imagination. Couple that with the ingenuity of a partner like Mechdyne, and the prospects for audience engagement are bright indeed.