An Interactive Ruler Shows How OLEDs Will Make Mundane Objects Smarter

We ’ve see a lot about how OLEDs are poised to change everything fromtelevisionsto smartphones . But a chemical group of researchers at MIT Media Lab’sFluid Interfaces Groupare applying OLEDs too more mundane objects , too — like plain erstwhile ruler . And the results are surprisingly cool .

Glassifiedis a prototype by Anirudh Sharma , Lirong Liu and Pattie Maes , three MIT educatee who are part of the FIG grouping . Their machine is wide-eyed , in theory : It ’s a clear glass rule , embedded with an OLED panel and a Wacom analog-digital converter connected to a nearby computer . When you use it to draw a series of lines , the Wacom recognizes the pen solidus and performs an analysis on them , relay that info back to you via its OLED concealment . For model , it can tell you the angle of a triangle or duration of a line , or the area of a polygon . But as Sharma and co demonstrate , it can also act like a game : trace a duet of crease , and it ’ll use them like a snarl for a dynamic formal .

It ’s still a farseeing ways from realness , but Glassified is a pretty neat demonstration of how to make traditional drawing tools “ impertinent . ” Earlier this summer , when Adobe announced theirProject Mighty — a smart stylus and ruler that interact with your iPad — we got a glimpse at how larger company are approaching the conundrum of connecting physical and digital mechanical drawing . Glassified shows us another route : Rather than redesign the act of drawing , this piddling machine could bring the benefit of the digital to what we already know . [ Anirudh SharmaviaCreative Applications ]