In the future, everything will be "connected", even the walls will watch us while we watch TV on the couch.
With doorbells, toasters, light bulbs already connected to the internet, this is changing the way we interact with them. Even refrigerators are obsessed with AI, which reprimands us for neglecting organic eggs - from wild-raised chicken.
Researchers at Caregi Mellon University are working with researchers at Disney (yes, that Disney that Disneyland, Disney World, and Cinderella) are trying to transform those boring, dumb walls into smart walls. Smart Walls work like a huge touch panel, detecting the movement of people.
In a report presented at the conference on the human factor in computing systems (Montreal), it is noted that the purpose of the work is to give the walls the ability to track the movements and gestures of people, capturing "electromagnetic noise transmitted through the air" - more or less (rather, "less") just like the sensor on a smartphone screen works.
The scale of this venture is impressive: "Houses, offices, restaurants, schools, museums - walls are everywhere, but they are passive." Absolutely. All the walls are doing is maintaining structure and separating noisy activities in different rooms, ensuring privacy. It's time to occupy the walls with useful vigorous activity.
Instead of tracking human actions with video cameras, the system relies on a network of "large electrodes" hidden in a layer of electrically conductive water-based paint. It smells less and looks better than other conductive paints such as nickel based paints. Only copper foil was needed to connect the electrodes.
The inventors have a specific idea for using a smart wall: you can play video games on it, controlling the process of body movements; switch the TV channel with a wave of your hand, or just slap the wall to turn off all the lights.
Promotional video:
We are indeed living in the future.
Vadim Tarabarko
