Air Genie LED-video airship patented

You wanna talk about LEDs? Let's talk about LEDs: how about 60 million of them covering the entirety of a massive spherical airship, capable of floating overhead and distracting onlookers with a new kind of multimedia advertising, á la Blade Runner (or, if you prefer, Futurama). Apparently the Air Genie would call for a solid $36 million in LEDs alone, which would burn a kilowatt of power as the globe floats through the air containing nearly 800,000 cubic feet of helium inside its 41,000 square foot facade. What a bold new world; bigger, better rendering after the break.

[Via Wired]

[Blog Jones @ Feb 9th 2007 9:11AM]

In fairness, if you're looking for a peaceful, non-commericalized environment, you probably shouldn't be at a sporting event.

[allan menezes @ Feb 9th 2007 7:55AM]

At least there will be something else entertaining at the baseball game.....cool idea

[Jon @ Feb 9th 2007 8:32AM]

Air Bud

[Noll @ Feb 9th 2007 8:38AM]

Why the entire surface? The top would only be visible to other flying objects.

[tekdroid @ Feb 9th 2007 9:07AM]

i see the potential for snipers...

[Bun @ Feb 9th 2007 9:12AM]

So if it's for something like Bud then it's definitely not a bomb? Hmm, where else have I seen LEDs in advertising? Don't think it turned out too well.

[Galley @ Feb 9th 2007 9:42AM]

Please God, make it stop!

[LT73 @ Feb 9th 2007 9:45AM]

*Visions of drowning polar bears*

[Bad Beaver @ Feb 9th 2007 9:49AM]

Hmm, I see teenagers polishing their high-power-modded BB sniper-rifles already.

"This Sunday's game turned into a flaming event when 800,000 cubic feet of helium..."

[Jon @ Feb 9th 2007 10:14AM]

Helium doesn't burn.

[Don @ Feb 9th 2007 11:07AM]

You need science classes...
P.S. the earth isn't less than 6000 years old either.

[capn @ Feb 9th 2007 10:09AM]

I have $40 million to spend on an LCD balloon but not for starving children.

[Justin @ Feb 9th 2007 10:17AM]

I do prefer "Futurama"

[Bad Beaver @ Feb 9th 2007 10:23AM]

I know, I know, I know, yet the though of a burning mass of ad-terror crashing down on the field is much more entertaining than the thing just going "pffffffrt".

[Don @ Feb 9th 2007 11:34AM]

Oh, that's cool then, if you were joking.

[AJ @ Feb 9th 2007 11:37AM]

Just slap a few back face projectors in the thing, save the LEDs for something better says me! Maybe use some of that 3M light amplifying material or something. I don't know, I hate sporting events outside of my living room, so what do I know?

[Alexander Pink @ Feb 9th 2007 12:06PM]

The museum of emerging science technology in Odaiba, Tokyo has a huge globe composed of thousands of LED's called geocosmos. It shows real time weather data and some other cool stuff. Here is a video about it http://tellus.ssec.wisc.edu/outreach/TokyoMuseum/geocosmos.htm.

[phlavor @ Feb 9th 2007 12:57PM]

"Enjoy a new life in the off world colonies."

[Xenoterranos @ Feb 9th 2007 4:48PM]

From the filing:
"Additionally, the average brightness of a VAS should be bright enough to compete with the blue sky of daytime, perhaps having a brightness comparable to that of the moon."

WTF.