Safety Glass Maker Embeds Digital Signs In Train Windows
October 15, 2014 by Dave Haynes
The whole transparent screens in glass thing is now pretty old news – particularly in things like grocery chiller cabinets and display cases for shoes and purses. But an Israeli company has come up with a different spin – LCDs embedded in the side windows of passenger rail cars.
Oran Safety Glass is launching ScreeneX to the North American market at a public transport trade show today in Houston.
ScreeneX embeds a screen in a double-glazed window, or in an interior glass partition in a train or bus, to provide real-time passenger information, infotainment and commercial advertisements.
Embedded in the glass, says a news release, it takes no cabin space, increasing both vehicle capacity and passenger comfort. With the ability to display high-resolution video, text and graphics fed from dedicated hardware and software, ScreeneX® can display timetables and destinations; safety alerts and announcements; location-sensitive advertisements, or entertainment content.
“I’m confident that operators, when they see this technology for the first time, will be bowled over by the possibilities it creates,” says Daniel Cohen, CEO of Oran Safety Glass (OSG). “It is the future and when they see this particular aspect of the future, they’ll love the possibilities.”
OSG is in the business of providing complete window systems for major international train manufacturers, including Bombardier, Siemens, Alstom and Kawasaki.
I’m not sure where the lighting comes from for these displays, but presumably there are LED strips around the perimeter. The only image made available is shot at a distance. The set-up makes some sense, as the displays are above the normal line of sight, and are not stopping riders from having the simple pleasure of watching the scenery go by. It also keeps the install tidy and safe, versus screens from ceilings.
Really nice concept, but I wonder about the practicalities. In latitudes outside the tropics the screen is going to be competing against the sun in the day, so will need a really big backlight, or will be hard to see at night, ruling out transparent LCD.
I’m pretty sure the image is a render as one (but not all) of the screens has a reflection in the glass (which it wouldn’t if backlit).
If this can be made to work in the real world it will be gorgeous.
Excellent Concept in today’s world. Yes, Of course it is practically difficult but this is not impossible concept with the new technology growing day by day.