360 degree LED display installed at US airport

A new LED display, found within the Baltimore/Washington International Thrurgood Marshall Airport, is one of the first of its kind to span a full 360 degree circumference, according to the Wall Street Journal.

This US airport now plays host to an LED video board, which has a diameter of nine feet and supports a total display area of 85 square feet. But unlike most other large scale displays, it is not simply rectangular and flat, but fully curved and able to showcase a variety of content in interesting ways.

As well as giving information to travellers who pass it by, the screen will also be home to offers, ads and other alerts, depending on the context.

Operated by Airmall, spokesperson, Brett Kelly, said that it was intended to offer improved engagement with passengers and present them with relevant information and promotional offers, in a way that will draw attention and improve retention of detail.

A total of more than 186,000 pixels make up the surface of the screen, with each one harnessing three LEDs in order to generate the different colours required. This gives the display the ability to showcase over 4.4 trillion different hues.

Airport representative, Paul Wiedefeld, pointed out that modern consumers are used to having a wealth of information at their fingertips, thanks to the rise of smartphones and other portable, connected devices.

With this LED display, it is hoped that people will be given cause to look up from their palm-sized gadgets and actually be attracted to a secondary public display.

This is not the first 360 degree LED display in the world, but it is certainly one of the earliest to go live and could indicate a growing trend for this type of screen.