Science Fiction Dictionary
A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

 

SkyV SkyCeiling From The Sky Factory

The SkyV from The Sky Factory is a high-definition presentation of the sky - indoors. Terabytes of HD content are presented for your overhead enjoyment; this is pretty much exactly what sf authors like Stanislaw Lem were talking about.

SkyV is intended to bring the psychological benefits of beautiful sky exposure to venues that are unlikely to have real skies available. Take a look at this SkyV video:








(SkyV sky ceiling video from The Sky Factory)

SkyV is a ceiling-mounted system of HD LCD screens integrated into a patent-pending, faux skylight framework. The system includes multi-channel graphics processors and specialized synchronization software for display of its terabytes of proprietary HD content. SkyV simulates a real skylight, presenting hours of visual content captured from beneath beautiful skies and trees world-wide.

What is the philosophy behind this kind of display? SkyCeiling owner and designer Bill Witherspoon left these sf-related SkyCeiling comments in a previous article:

As the designers of SkyCeilings™, we have had a lot of time to observe their effects and, yes the "object" SkyCeiling has appeared before in SF literature and for real (think of the old cathedral ceilings) but for us the most interesting and unique thing has become the physiological response to properly made SkyCeilings. This, from my limited knowledge of SF, has very interesting parallels and raises some fundamental metaphysical questions that have also been the subject of SF inquiry.

Consider, by way of prologue, that the Sky is our biggest and most universal experience of nature; that we (our nervous systems, consciousness, knowledge base, cultural habits etc.) have evolved under our sky.

The fact that a SkyCeiling can trigger the same psycho physiological response as the real thing is where things start to get interesting. Hasn't this been the subject of a tremendous amount of SF literature? I am thinking at the moment of Stephenson’s Metaverse or his ractives or the young lady's primer. But I know there is way more.
(Bill Witherspoon)

Stanislaw Lem's 1961 novel Return from the Stars described cavernous underground or interior spaces. But yet, the sky seemed to be visible.

"How do they work it so that the sky is visible at every level of the city?"

She perked up.

"Very simple. Television - that is what they called it, long ago. On the ceilings are screens. They transmit what is above the Earth - the sky, the clouds..."
(Read more about Stanislaw Lem's sky ceilings)

SkyV should be available early in 2009 for purchase. See also the earlier article on the original SkyCeiling Big Indoor Sky. From SkyV at The Sky Factory via dvice.

Scroll down for more stories in the same category. (Story submitted 11/4/2008)

Follow this kind of news @Technovelgy.

| Email | RSS | Blog It | Stumble | del.icio.us | Digg | Reddit |

Would you like to contribute a story tip? It's easy:
Get the URL of the story, and the related sf author, and add it here.

Comment/Join discussion ( 6 )

Related News Stories - (" Lifestyle ")

Amazon Blimp Parent Drone Concept
'So the parent drone carries a spotter that it launches...' - Daniel Suarez, 2012.

Tortoise Mobile Smart Stores
'... all round the city dozens of cars have rented out their trunks, which contain cigars and scotch and stuff.' - Karl Schroeder, 2019.

Sony Pocket Air Conditioner Is Phil Dick's Idea!
'... he went to the hall closet to get his pith helmet and his mandatory cooling-unit.' - Philip K. Dick, 1965.

ROAM Robotics Skiing Exoskeleton
'The real genius in the design is that you don't have to control the suit; you just wear it...' - Robert Heinlein, 1959.

 

Google
  Web TechNovelgy.com   

Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Invention Timeline, or see what's New.

 

 

 

 

Science Fiction Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's   1950's
1960's   1970's
1980's   1990's
2000's   2010's

Current News

Mechazilla Arms Catch A Falling Starship, But Check Out SF Landing-ARMS
'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'

A System To Defeat AI Face Recognition
'...points and patches of light... sliding all over their faces in a programmed manner that had been designed to foil facial recognition systems.'

Robot Hand Separate From Robot
'The crawling, exploring object was V-Stephen's surgeon-hand...'

Hybrid Wind Solar Devices
'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.'

Is Optimus Autonomous Or Teleoperated?
'I went to the control room where the three other men were manipulating their mechanical men.'

Robot Masseuse Rubs People The Right Way
'The automatic massager began to fumble gently...'

Solar-Powered Space Trains On The Moon
'The low-slung monorail car, straddling its single track, bored through the shadows on a slowly rising course.'

Drone Deliveries Instead Of Waiters In Restaurants?
'It was a smooth ovoid floating a few inches from the floor...'

Optimus Robot Can Charge Itself
'... he thrust in his charging arm to replenish his store of energy.'

Skip Movewear Arc'teryx AI Pants
'...the terrible Jovian gravity that made each movement an effort.'

'Robovan' Name Already Taken - Elon, Try These
There are alternative names that are probably in the public domain by now.

How Old Are Tesla Designs?
You be the judge.

Is Your Autonomous Tractor Safe?
'The field-minder finished turning the top-soil of a two-thousand-acre field.'

Smart TVs Are Listening!
'You had to live -- did live, from habit that became instinct -- in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard...'

Police Drones In China Would Like To Have A Word With You
''OVERRIDE,' the City Fathers said suddenly, without being asked anything at all.'

Oh Great (Part 2), Fence-Climbing Robots
Please, no stingers.

More SF in the News Stories

More Beyond Technovelgy science news stories

Home | Glossary | Invention Timeline | Category | New | Contact Us | FAQ | Advertise |
Technovelgy.com - where science meets fiction™

Copyright© Technovelgy LLC; all rights reserved.