Painterface: An integrated responsive architectural interface

Interface design is one of the main research areas in human- computer interaction (HCI). In computer science, many HCI research- ers and designers explore novel interface designs with cutting-edge technology, but few investigate alternative interfaces for existing built environments, especially in the area of architecture. In this paper, we investigate alternative interface designs for existing architectural ele- ments-such as walls, floors, and ceilings-that can be created with off-the-shelf materials. Instead of merely serving as discrete sensing and display devices integrated to an existing building's surface, these liquid and thin materials act as interventions that can be 'painted' on a surface, transforming it into an architectural interface. This interface, Painterface, is a responsive material intervention that serves as an an- alogue, wall-type media interface that senses and responds to people's actions. Painterface is equipped with three sensing and responsive ca- pacities: touch, sound, and light. While the interface's touch capacity performs tactile sensing, its sound-production and illumination capaci- ties emit notes and light respectively. The outcomes of this research suggest the possibility of a simple, inexpensive, replaceable, and even disposable interface that could serve as an architectural intervention applicable to existing building surfaces.