a person touches a wall in 2 places which is recognized by the wall's sensors and displayed on a nearby laptop screen



Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University's Human-Computer Interaction Institute and Disney Research found that they could make walls "smart" at relatively low cost — about $20 per square meter —using simple tools and techniques, such as a paint roller, to make them interactive.


“Walls are usually the largest surface area in a room, yet we don’t make much use of them other than to separate spaces, and perhaps hold up pictures and shelves,” said Chris Harrison, assistant professor in CMU’s HCII. “As the internet of things and ubiquitous computing become reality, it is tempting to think that walls can become active parts of our living and work environments.”

Learn more: Paint Job Transforms Walls Into Sensors, Interactive Surfaces