Google might one day turn the ordinary walls of your house into screens that display different images, but for now that kind of tech is reserved for the super rich. A company called Taptl says it has figured out how to create windows that work as LCD displays, and it’s using them for yachts.
Taptl’s transparent LCD screen lets boaters gaze out at the ocean or exclusive beaches where they’ve docked for the night, but it can also work as TV or a giant tablet. With the thickness of a typical LCD and 1080p or 4K resolution, the display can be outfitted with HDMI, USB, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth and supports Windows, Android, OSX, and Linux. Taptl launched the screens at the Yachts Miami Beach in February and partnered with Palladium Technologies for the screens’ software. “Together, we can create an actual transparent glass bridge, which is not only incredibly sexy, but it saves space, Mary Wolff, CEO of Taptl, tells Digital Trends. “We are also working on head up display technology and augmented reality applications — straight out of science fiction movies.”
The screens are less bulky, use less energy, weigh less, and are water and heat resistant. “It is software and connection agnostic, so it can serve as your TV, your navigation system, your gaming display, your computer, all-in-one,” says Wolff. “What is particularly attractive to this industry as well is that it is completely custom, whether in quantity of 1 or 1,000+, so if a buyer wants a 110-inch 4K 3D touch screen display in a solid gold frame with a custom software application, we can accommodate that and deliver.”
There’s a reason Taptl is targeting yacht owners: A 16-inch costs $4,200, while a 110-inch goes for $100,000. Considering Corning wants to make almost every glass surface in your home a touchscreen, these windows could be the wave of the future.
