Japan, April 17, 2017 - NTT DOCOMO has developed the world's first spherical images of unmanned aerial vehicles, can be displayed during the full range of spherical screen LED images - DOCOMO that is the world's first.
The device comprises a spherical outer frame, an inner LED frame consisting of a series of eight curved LED strips extending from the top to the bottom, a UAV mounted inside the sphere and a leg protruding below it. During the flight, the LED frame rotates on its axis with its fast horizontal motion to form a residual image effect to produce the illusion of the solid ball of the stationary LED. The highly mobile UAVs can operate almost anywhere, including concerts or venues, where they can fly as part of a performance or send advertising information, event information, and so on.
The maximum diameter of the spherical frame is about 88 cm, and the weight of the entire unit, including the unmanned aircraft, is only 3.4 kg. The display measures 144 pixels high and 136 pixels wide (horizontal circle).
The unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a spherical display has proven to be difficult due to the challenges of the display interfering with the airflow of the UAV's propeller and the increased weight of the display. However, DOCOMO's solution uses an extremely lightweight hollow display that allows air to flow through it, but it can still achieve the illusion of solid display by producing a residual image with a fast-rotating LED.
Since the UAV is a test model, it can only fly for a few minutes. UAV development costs about 10 million yen (91,700 US dollars). Docomo said that UAVs could make the ads in the event hall more attractive, or increase live coverage, such as the attractiveness of the concert.