CAMBRIDGE, Mass., May 18, 2021 — Researchers at MIT have developed a way to rapidly change imagery on an object’s surface. The system, “ChromoUpdate,” pairs an ultraviolet projector with items coated in light-activated dye. The projected light alters the reflective properties of the dye to make colorful new images in a matter of minutes. The technology may accelerate development by allowing developers to showcase multiple color schemes and styles with one prototype.
The new system builds on a previous programmable matter system developed by the researchers called “PhotoChromeleon.” That system was the primary to point out the researchers that it could have high-resolution, multicolor textures they might program over and once again, said lead author and postdoctoral researcher Michael Wessely.
That system used a lacquer-like ink composed of cyan, magenta, and yellow dyes. An object coated with this ink could then be reprogrammed using light. First, UV light from an LED was shone on the ink to completely saturate the dyes. Next, the dyes were selectively desaturated with a visible-light projector to bring each pixel to its desired color and leave the ultimate image behind.Tests demonstrated that it took about 20 min for the system to update a picture.
ChromoUpdate takes advantage of fast programming cycles — things that might not are possible before, Wessely said. Rather than an LED, which uniformly blasts the whole surface, ChromoUpdate uses a UV projector which will vary light levels across the surface. This grants the operator pixel-level control over saturation levels.“We can saturate the fabric locally within the exact pattern we would like,” Wessely said.
The selective saturation procedure allowed designers to make a black-and-white preview of a design in seconds or a full-color prototype in minutes, which therefore enables multiple designs to be tested in a single work session.
“You can even have a physical prototype to determine if your design really works,” Wessely said. “You can see how it’s when sunlight shines thereon or when shadows are cast. It’s not enough just to do this on a computer.”
The team hopes to improve the technology and broaden its potential. Currently, the ink is specialized for smooth rigid surfaces like mugs, phone cases, and cars. The researchers aim to figure with flexible, programmable textiles. The researchers have partnered with a gaggle of textile makers in Paris to ascertain how ChromoUpdate might be incorporated into the planning process. The research is going to be presented at the ACM Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems.
