Issue #130: Portable light system transforms everyday objects into dynamic displays
Introducing PortaChrome
Welcome to Issue #130 of One Minute AI, your daily AI news companion. This issue discusses recent research from MIT.
Introducing PortaChrome
MIT researchers have developed PortaChrome, a portable light system that uses ultraviolet (UV) and RGB LEDs to alter the color and texture of everyday objects, enabling dynamic, programmable displays on items like clothing and electronics. By applying photochromic dye—a light-sensitive ink—to an object, PortaChrome can activate colors via UV light and desaturate them with RGB LEDs, transforming items with custom designs or real-time data visualizations. This new system allows users to personalize their environment effortlessly, providing a fast and user-friendly alternative to previous projector-based color-changing methods.
The PortaChrome device can adapt to various surfaces, with a flexible design that can wrap around curved items or lay flat. In demonstrations, researchers used PortaChrome to display health metrics on a shirt during a hike and to customize items like headphones and wrist splints with intricate designs. The system’s lightweight, modular construction—featuring a silicone diffusion layer and interwoven LED textiles—makes it compatible with everyday items. MIT envisions future applications where users could quickly reprogram surfaces, creating interactive, customizable designs on clothing, accessories, or even car covers.
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