Imagine looking out of your window to see your favorite city in the world – even if you actually live on the other side of the planet. The smarties at Rational Design made that possible – kind of – with Winscape. The project involves two HD plasma-screen TVs mounted on the wall with motion tracking software that senses your position in the room and changes the view to make it feel like you are actually looking out onto your own personal paradise vista.
The two 46-inch TVs were actually built into the wall and framed so that they look like real windows. They are powered by a connected Apple Mac Pro running custom software. The scenes can remain static constantly or rotate, which can be controlled by the custom iPhone app. No matter the scene, changing your position in the room will change the view on the screens appropriately – though the effect can only work for one person at a time.
Rational Design is planning to sell DIY kits for those brave enough to attempt this installation on their own; they are expected to run $2,500 to $3,000. Along with instructions for assembly and installation, users will get instructions on filming their very own ideal vistas. If you just want to try it out on your existing HDTV and already have a Mac attached to it, Rational Design offers the Winscape software for free
