Photo: Yunika
A hyper-realistic 3D cat has appeared in a 1,664-square-foot curved LED screen in the Shinjuku district in Tokyo. The cat walks around and audibly meows above the city between advertisements in 4K resolution.
The cat also changes positions throughout the day, as the video airs between 7 am and 1 am. In the morning, the calico cat is startled awake. By afternoon, it is actively standing up and meowing at passersby. By nighttime, it rests its head on its paws, waiting to fall asleep.
Test broadcasts have been conducted since last month, but the display doesn’t officially launch until July 12. The “Shinjuku cat” has already gained attention online, with many users finding it cute and the technology amazing.
One Twitter user posted a video of the animal yawning and falling asleep, writing that it “looks sleepy at night.”
But it may be challenging to visit the cat in person. So one of the companies behind the display, Cross Space, has begun a live stream of the billboard via YouTube. But the screen’s owners also warned in a press release that the 3D effect may not be as amazing depending on the viewing angle.
The billboard is located at the east exit of Shinjuku train station, a busy shopping and business center. Cross Shinjuku Vision, a website launched for the display, says that 190,000 people pass the screen every weekday.
Realistic 3D billboards have appeared in several Asian countries in recent years. Last May, a gigantic 3D wave took over South Korea’s biggest digital billboard in Seoul’s Gangnam neighborhood. It was designed by technology firm d’strict.
