Together with project partner Technische Universität Berlin, the project ‘Smart Displays for Smart Living’ has developed a smart material display based on dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA). Dielectric elastomer actuators (DEA) are a subset of electroactive polymers and can be used in actuators, sensors and energy conversion. They require high voltage for actuation, are light and compact, and switch quickly and silently.

The display developed in the project is intended to fit naturally into the living context and be perceived as an aesthetic, reactive object. The application is modular and customisable, allowing users to decide what data they want to display. The data is visualised through patterns of movement. By modulating the rhythm, direction and speed, different signals can be visualised and experienced.  This visualisation does not allow the complexity of a graphical display. These are ‘trigger actions’ that are executed in response to a defined signal. The advantage of this is that movements can be seen out of the corner of the eye. The display is not intended to make complex data readable, but to inform the user when certain data requires an action.

As a result, a demonstrator display with exemplary data sets makes this visualisation tangible and shows the potential for further implementations.

Funded by the BMBF

Duration: 2019-2022

Project partner: 

TU Berlin: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Jürgen Maas

UdK Berlin:

Project management: Prof. Kora Kimpel

Research associates: Prof. Joanna Dauner, Dipl. Ing. Jan Friedrich

Student assistants: Linda Elsner, Isabella Zappe, Lea Schmitt