Source: Jason Dorfman/MIT CSAILResearchers from Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology’s (MIT’s) Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have developed sprayable technology that enables users to devise digital user interfaces on virtually any surface for controlling connected devices.

To accomplish this, the team developed a system wherein users can create cardboard stencils in a 3D editor. Once created, the stencils can be airbrushed onto virtually any surface — a couch, a wall, the exterior of a building — with layers of conductive ink.

Once the copper, dielectric, phosphorus, copper bus and clear conductor layers are sprayed onto the chosen surface and in the stencil’s design, the resulting sensors are connected to an accompanying device. For instance, a user might spray a design onto a wall connected to smart lighting in his or her home where they can control lighting settings with a gesture or touch of the accompanying stenciled artwork.

The MIT CSAIL team believes that sprayable technology will pave the way for developments in the smart home, interactive architecture and smart furniture.

For more on the technology, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of MIT CSAIL.