RP203 Spray, Connect, Touch

 RP203 Spray, Connect, Touch

Touchscreen technology is commonplace nowadays. It's on our phones, on our TV sets, and on our laptops. At the moment, though, touchscreen technology is limited mostly to small, flat surfaces like phone or computer screens. It isn't really suitable for large or irregular-shaped objects, like toys or living room walls, for example. However, a new invention called Electrick is set to change all that. It could be the first step in turning any surface into a working, interactive touchscreen.

So, what is Electrick exactly, and how does it work? Essentially, Electrick is a conductive spray paint. You spray it on something and send a small electric charge through the object. The electrodes attached to the object then detect where you touch. Though it's not quite as accurate as the touchscreen on your smartphone or laptop, it can detect your finger within about a centimeter. It's also durable, able to retain its sensitivity over hundreds and hundreds of uses. It's not yet known how well it will work under conditions like rain or electromagnetic interference, but it's early days, yet.

So what exactly could the applications of this spray-on touchscreen be? Think about it—you could place shortcuts to your TV's functions on your favorite chair or coffee table. You could turn something like a map into an interactive learning device. How about programming your electric guitar with different sound effects? Then simply turn them on by touching different places on the instrument's body. You could customize toys, your house, your car—anything!—to respond to your touch.

Of course, you must be asking yourself, is it really possible to make anything touch-sensitive? In a word, yes. Electrick technology is not only compatible with traditional manufacturing methods such as spray-coating and casting. It works with newer, state-of-the-art technology like 3-D printing, too. The technology might be brand new, but the possibilities appear to be endless.