1 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff from how Stuff Works, Hey, brain Stuff, 2 00:00:07,280 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: Lauren vog obam here. When commercial air travel first started 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,240 Speaker 1: to catch on in the nineteen thirties, one of the 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:15,920 Speaker 1: big attractions for passengers was the chance to stare out 5 00:00:15,920 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: the window at the landscape from a startlingly new perspective 6 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: high above it. Of course, many of us still like 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 1: to gaze out in wonder from those little portals. A 8 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: survey by Quarts in fourteen found that more than half 9 00:00:27,760 --> 00:00:30,360 Speaker 1: of Americans prefer having a window seat on an airline, 10 00:00:30,760 --> 00:00:32,680 Speaker 1: though people who fly more than once a year are 11 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:37,000 Speaker 1: more evenly split between window and aisle seats. That's why 12 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 1: you may be surprised to learn that for decades, aircraft 13 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 1: designers have been contemplating planes with video screens instead of 14 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:48,159 Speaker 1: passenger windows. Back in the mid nineteen nineties, NASA actually 15 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:51,559 Speaker 1: built and flew an experimental Boeing seven thirty seven with 16 00:00:51,600 --> 00:00:55,160 Speaker 1: a windowless cockpit equipped with digital and infrared cameras and 17 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 1: video monitors, and in the UK based Center for Process 18 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:03,360 Speaker 1: Innovation unveiled a design for a windowless airliner in which 19 00:01:03,400 --> 00:01:06,360 Speaker 1: the entire interior of the cabin would be lined with thin, 20 00:01:06,640 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: flexible high definition video screens that would provide lighting and 21 00:01:10,240 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: entertainment as well as a more expansive view of the outside, 22 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: but concept has been put into practice. Last April, Dubai 23 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:22,480 Speaker 1: based airline Emirates debuted Boeing seven seventy seven's with enclosed 24 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:26,160 Speaker 1: private suites equipped with virtual windows to provide a view 25 00:01:26,160 --> 00:01:29,440 Speaker 1: of the outside from the middle of the plane. We 26 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,520 Speaker 1: spoke via email with Jerome de Mare, and Emirates public 27 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: relations official. He said the virtual windows were installed for 28 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:38,959 Speaker 1: first class suites located in the middle aisle as they 29 00:01:38,959 --> 00:01:42,400 Speaker 1: are fully enclosed suites with floored ceiling doors and passengers 30 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:44,119 Speaker 1: would not be able to view the windows on these 31 00:01:44,160 --> 00:01:47,400 Speaker 1: sides of the aircraft. We asked him how they worked 32 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: and he explained these virtual windows project the view from 33 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:55,000 Speaker 1: outside the aircraft using real time camera technology. The cameras 34 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: are placed in strategic locations to offer passengers a real 35 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: time view outside the aircraft. The actual view is determined 36 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,400 Speaker 1: by which side of the aircraft the entrance to the 37 00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:05,800 Speaker 1: suite is right or left, and that is the view 38 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,800 Speaker 1: that will appear in the center suites. The cameras are 39 00:02:08,880 --> 00:02:12,200 Speaker 1: high resolution devices which offer a very clear, wide view 40 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: of the outside the virtual window provides a sharp, clear, 41 00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,200 Speaker 1: realistic view of what's outside. Anecdotally, passengers have told us 42 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: that they prefer the view to that of real windows. 43 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,959 Speaker 1: In a BBC News article, Emirates President Sir Tim Clark 44 00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: was quoted about the future possibility of planes without windows, 45 00:02:29,080 --> 00:02:31,120 Speaker 1: but Demyer said that there are no current plans for 46 00:02:31,160 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: a windowless airliner. However, at least one aircraft manufacturer does 47 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,440 Speaker 1: aim to go windowless on a smaller scale. For the 48 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,320 Speaker 1: past several years, a privately owned Boston based company, Spike Aerospace, 49 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: has been working to develop the Spikes five, twelve and 50 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: eighteen passengers supersonic business jet, packed with technology that will 51 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,640 Speaker 1: enable it to cut travel times significantly without excess fuel 52 00:02:53,639 --> 00:02:56,760 Speaker 1: consumption or loud sonic booms, and will do all of 53 00:02:56,800 --> 00:03:01,840 Speaker 1: that without passenger windows. The aircraft's design will include what 54 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 1: Spike Airspace calls a multiplex digital cabin. Instead of gazing 55 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: through the usual small portal windows, passengers will be able 56 00:03:09,560 --> 00:03:11,640 Speaker 1: to watch a pair of twenty foot long that's six 57 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: meter digital video screens that will stretch the length of 58 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:17,880 Speaker 1: the cabin on either side of the aircraft. Multiple high 59 00:03:17,919 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: definition cameras mounted on the exterior of the plane will 60 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: provide four K video, which computers and the aircraft will 61 00:03:23,560 --> 00:03:27,800 Speaker 1: stitch together using special software developed by the company. We 62 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:31,919 Speaker 1: spoke with Spike Airspace President and chief executive Officer Vic Cachoria, 63 00:03:32,240 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: who explained, whatever image you want to see can be displayed. 64 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 1: You can see left or right, in front of the 65 00:03:37,360 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: plane or behind it, looking down or up into the sky. 66 00:03:40,520 --> 00:03:43,040 Speaker 1: It's a more panoramic view than the very limited view 67 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,960 Speaker 1: that you can see out of a porthole window. Eliminating 68 00:03:47,000 --> 00:03:49,800 Speaker 1: conventional acrylic glass windows from an aircraft could have other 69 00:03:49,840 --> 00:03:53,280 Speaker 1: advantages as well. It would insulate the fuselage, making it 70 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: possible to reduce noise from the engines. It would also 71 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: strengthen the aircraft and make it safer. Some serious engineering 72 00:03:59,360 --> 00:04:01,760 Speaker 1: goes into making those windows sturdy enough to withstand the 73 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: stresses of flight, and besides providing a more expansive view, 74 00:04:06,040 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: such a video system could also utilize geolocation and display 75 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,880 Speaker 1: augmented reality data about the landscape that the plane is 76 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:14,800 Speaker 1: flying over, or Passengers might be able to choose from 77 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: other content a display movies, for example, or a power 78 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:21,440 Speaker 1: point presentation. The aircraft's pilots would still have a conventional 79 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,159 Speaker 1: window in the cockpit, along with some of that advanced 80 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: video technology. Cutoria says that Spike Airspace has several more 81 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:31,600 Speaker 1: years of engineering to complete on their aircraft and then 82 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: has to go through the testing and certification process. He 83 00:04:35,000 --> 00:04:40,359 Speaker 1: envisions delivering the first jet without conventional passenger windows. In Initially, 84 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:43,120 Speaker 1: only corporate executives and people wealthy enough to afford a 85 00:04:43,120 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: private jet would be able to experience Spike Airspaces windowless flights, 86 00:04:46,960 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: but Catoria expects that the innovative technology eventually will find 87 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: its way into regular airliners as well. Today's episode was 88 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: written by Patrick Jake Tiger and produce by Tyler Clay. 89 00:05:01,200 --> 00:05:03,160 Speaker 1: Brain Stuff is a production of I Heart Radios How 90 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 1: Stuff Works. For more in this and lots of other 91 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:08,640 Speaker 1: panoramic topics, visit our home planet how stuff Works dot com, 92 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 1: and for more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the 93 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen 94 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:14,560 Speaker 1: to your favorite shows.