Wall++, wall and more than a wall
Walls are everywhere. They are used to define an enclosed area, separate spaces and hide infrastructure. In the mind of most people, walls are generally inactive structural elements. However, with Wall++, a wall can play an important role in the room-scale interactive and context-aware application.
Wall++ is a cheap (around $20 per square meter) paint treatment which is designed by the researchers at Disney and Carnegie Mellon University. The conductive paint is first applied to a normal wall as a diamond-shaped grid. Then a web of thin wires is put to connect the paint cells together. The final layer is standard latex paint which could hide the secret underneath. The first two layers actually work together as a capacitive touchscreen which is a simplified version of the smartphone screen. In this case, the “smart wall” becomes a plus size control panel which allows the user to turn the lights off/on, adjust the music, unlock a door or control the blind position by touching anywhere of it or simply waving in front of the wall.
Although there are still some limitations such as vulnerable to Electromagnetic noise (i.e. fluorescent lights) and narrow sensing range (0.5m — 3m), the wall with Wall++ could be used to benefit people’s lives, especially for the senior or handicapped ones who have limited ability to move.
Freeman, D. (April 25,2018). New smart wall lets you control your home with swipes, taps. Retrieved September 28, 2018, from https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/new-smart-wall-lets-you-control-your-home-swipes-taps-ncna869006
Fig.1. Retrieved September 28, 2018, from http://pdm.com.co/BlogPDM/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/Wall-plus-plus-1038x561.jpg?x81790
