I can't find the article, but this seems to refer to the same idea: https://www.quora.com/Can-fiber-optic-cables-be-used-to-carr...
I know someone who installed one in their bathroom and have been surprised at how well it works.
I installed a Velux skylight on one of my previous remodels (replacing an existing low quality skylight), and I still regret it versus decking over the void and deleting the tunnel.
In this scenario, the skylight in my bathroom while i do the morning ready is a godsend. Are there other better solutions? I'm sure there are, but is the prevalence of issues with properly installing skylights much larger than the prevalence of issues with windows?
In short, no, unless you have tens-of-thousands[1][2] to spend on this panel. Rays of sunlight are parallel, an effect that very difficult to emulate.
There are folks who have developed DIY versions, with impressive results[3], but in that case you're trading off way more effort, potentially requiring maintenance, and a lot more space required.
[1]: https://www.coelux.com/en/home-page/index [2]: https://hometronics.com/about-us/press/item/coelux-the-40000... [3]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bqBsHSwPgw
Example: https://www.homedepot.com/p/JONATHAN-Y-2-ft-x-4-ft-Skylight-...
It doesn't cast the gorgeous shadows sunlight does. It creates glare that makes having the panel surface directly visible, no matter how obtuse the angle, unacceptable.
Sunlight's parallel rays make it so that it's not your window that's bright, it's the things that your window shines light on that are lit up. You can look at your window or the sky all day without any discomfort. And that's just not the case for traditional light panels.