How Virtual Windows Function

Rooms that lack windows, such as those in hospitals and offices, can often feel dull and uninspiring. Even in spaces with windows, the view might be obstructed by nearby buildings. In these situations, the best option might be to add some greenery, hang some artwork, or take a brief walk to enjoy the natural world outside, offering a much-needed change from the same repetitive indoor walls.

Fortunately, there's now a more advanced solution. With virtual windows, you can enjoy views of iconic landmarks like the Golden Gate Bridge, the Canadian Rockies, or even an underwater world, all from the comfort of your home or office chair. These windows are perfect for rooms with a lackluster view or even those without any windows at all.

A virtual window is designed to mimic the appearance of a real window, offering a digitally created scene instead of an actual outdoor view. Some versions even include ambient sounds. There are various types to choose from, depending on how much variety and realism you desire, as well as your budget. These windows can range from a single-pane design to a multi-pane setup, and some may even mimic skylights. Ultimately, they are illusions crafted to enhance your environment, allowing you to experience a refreshing view of nature or even distant places like outer space.

While a picture or painting on a wall might serve a similar purpose, virtual windows typically offer more. These can range from still images to dynamic videos or scenes that change in response to your movements.

Still Image Virtual Windows

Faux windows can be crafted from posters, decals, paintings, and murals, but a more advanced version incorporates backlighting behind a nature scene printed on semi-transparent material. These virtual windows can be either mounted or recessed into the wall and are often framed to resemble a real window, complete with crossbars that simulate panes. Some versions are double-sided, allowing them to be viewed from two rooms, while others can be ceiling-mounted as skylights.

Companies such as Therapeutic Environmental SolutionS (TESS) and Joey Fischer's VisualTherapy specialize in creating custom virtual skylights and windows, aimed at providing soothing environments in medical facilities. These installations help alleviate the often sterile and windowless appearance of waiting rooms and treatment areas by offering patients and visitors something pleasant to focus on, aside from the usual walls or medical equipment.

Sky Factory offers a range of virtual windows and skylights designed for both residential and commercial spaces, including medical facilities. Their static-image options feature high-resolution transparent images and custom window and skylight frames, illuminated by either T5 fluorescent backlighting or LED edge lighting for even brightness. Additionally, they offer image tiles that can be integrated into standard ceiling grids, lit by ambient or custom front lighting.

The lifelike images and lighting may create the illusion of a window at first glance, but with this version, the scenery remains static unless the photo is swapped out. This doesn't quite capture the dynamic experience of a real window, where clouds drift by, birds soar across the sky, and leaves rustle in the breeze. Keep reading to discover virtual windows that bring us closer to true realism.

Virtual Windows That Feature Video

The moving versions of virtual windows can either project video or display it on high-definition TVs.

Projection-based virtual windows are currently more popular among DIY enthusiasts and academic researchers. One individual demonstrated setting up a bright, wide-angle projector on his balcony, linking it to a computer to cast various scenic videos through white curtains, transforming his indoor space with city, nature, underwater, and outer space scenes, along with eerie silhouettes [sources: Henry, Kawamoto]. In another example, the Open Window project involved projecting still and moving art and nature scenes, accompanied by audio, onto the walls of rooms housing patients undergoing stem cell treatment [sources: Hegarty, McCabe]. Both setups lacked the artificial window frame.

Video-based virtual windows are now available on the market. These typically involve high-definition TVs oriented vertically, framed with window-style borders (sometimes including crossbars or shutters) to replicate traditional windows more closely. Similar to static versions, they can be mounted or recessed into walls or ceilings to function as windows or skylights. Some setups even use multiple monitors to simulate individual panes.

Sky Factory offers several models featuring one or more 40- to 46-inch (101.6- to 116.8-centimeter) 1080p LED edge-lit LCD monitors. These systems include window and mounting fixtures, a hard-drive-based video playback unit (VPU) with around 8 hours of high-definition (1080p or UltraHD) nature videos, and a wall-mounted control panel to play, pause, or switch scenes. Some models also come with micro-class satellite speakers for audio. The nature footage, filmed with RED One 4K or RED Epic 5K cameras (used in major films), includes a range of landscapes like lakes, mountains, oceans, rivers, as well as a balloon festival and aquarium scenes. Custom-built units and footage can be arranged. Prices start in the thousands.

Even the highest resolution video windows still lack an important element of realism. In real life, the view from a window changes as you move, something that static images or video footage cannot replicate. However, there is a newer kind of virtual window that addresses this limitation.

Winscape Takes Virtual Windows to the Next Level

Winscape began as a personal project by Ryan Hoagland, who shares the build details, software, and scenery videos online [source: Winscape]. The latest demo version uses two 46-inch (118.8-centimeter) Panasonic TC-P46G10 plasma monitors, an Apple Macintosh Pro running custom Winscape software, and an Xbox Kinect (model 1414) to track the viewer's position relative to the screens. Earlier versions required the user to wear a bulky infrared (IR) necklace that communicated with a modified Wiimote, but with the Kinect, the system operates without any wearable devices.

This tracking is crucial because, just like a real window, the view shifts as you move around the room. Winscape's software mimics this natural effect. If you step to the left, the right side of the view becomes more visible, and if you move upward, the bottom portion of the image is revealed. The virtual scenery adjusts dynamically as you move closer to or further away from the virtual window. Using QuickTime and OpenGL, Winscape renders the necessary images. The Kinect can track multiple people, but the view only changes relative to the person closest to the window.

If you already have a display or two, a compatible Kinect, and a Macintosh running Snow Leopard 10.6, Lion 10.7, or Mountain Lion 10.8, you can create your own system with the Winscape software and some extra hardware for mounting, connecting, and powering the setup. The software is free to try, but after 30 days, reminders will prompt you to purchase a license, which costs $34.95 as of spring 2014. The software can support up to six monitors, provided your Mac has two three-output video cards, and it supports 4K resolution if your computer can handle it. The site also offers Winscape Marketeer software, which includes features like tracking random viewers without calibration and adding timed video overlays, making it useful for marketing purposes. However, the software is Mac-exclusive, with no versions available for other operating systems.

You can download the Winscape Remote app for iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad, allowing you to control scenes, wake up displays, or put them to sleep directly from your mobile device. Alternatively, you can manage the displays through the OS X software.

Various scenes are available for purchase from Winscape at $19.50 each for 1080p quality, and $60 for a few 4K-resolution options. These scenes feature locations like San Francisco and other parts of California, as well as footage from places such as Norway, Maui, Canada, and Minnesota. If you own a high-resolution camera, you can also create your own content.

All of the necessary equipment can cost thousands of dollars. As with any virtual window setup, incorporating it into the wall and adding wooden frames enhances the illusion, which further increases the cost and effort involved. However, the affordable software allows you to experiment with your existing equipment before committing to a significant financial investment.

The Benefits of Virtual Windows

While virtual windows may seem like luxuries for the wealthy or decorative elements in upscale offices, they do serve practical purposes. Humans have a natural need, or even craving, for a glimpse of the outside world, and sometimes the real thing is just not available. Studies show that people tend to decorate their offices with more nature-related elements when they lack a real outdoor view [source: Farley].

Beyond offering ventilation and a sense of time and weather, windows provide light, color, and a break from the monotony of indoor spaces. Though windows can present energy challenges and limit architects' ability to optimize space, their absence often results in negative psychological effects on building occupants, including feelings of stress, isolation, and depression [source: Farley]. This is especially noticeable in environments such as hospitals, schools, and offices, where people may be confined to one spot for long stretches of time.

Having access to windows, especially those showcasing nature views, has been shown to alleviate work-related stress and improve employee satisfaction. Research also indicates that viewing trees through windows can speed up recovery times for surgical patients and reduce the need for pain medication [sources: Farley, Ijsselsteijn]. In one study, patients in an intensive care unit without windows experienced over twice the rate of postoperative delirium and a higher incidence of depression compared to those in rooms with windows [source: Farley].

Further research is needed to confirm whether these outcomes apply equally to virtual windows, but progress is already being made in that direction. The Open Window project, previously mentioned, involved projecting still and moving art, nature scenes, and personal images onto the walls of rooms where patients undergoing stem cell transplants were isolated in sterile, windowless environments. This study led to reduced anxiety and depression in the patients involved, compared to those in rooms without the Open Window. Participants reported that the virtual windows offered a sense of distraction and connection to the outside world, making their treatment experience more pleasant than anticipated [sources: Hegarty, McCabe].

Many medical and professional offices are already integrating still-image virtual windows to enhance the view. As more evidence emerges regarding their benefits, it’s likely that the moving versions won’t be far behind.

With the cost of displays and computing technology steadily dropping, smaller and more affordable virtual windows suitable for cubicles could soon become a reality. After all, who wouldn’t want to transform their office into an underwater paradise?