(Photo : SprayPrinter)
Generate intricate designs with handheld smartphone printer.
SprayPrinter allows users to take an image off of their phone and paint it on their wall with an app, a can of paint and a handheld printer. The device borrows concepts from 3D printing, typewriters and combustion engines to create unique designs anyone can make.
To start painting, the user downloads the smartphone app and sets the phone up on a tripod with a view of the wall. The printer is attached to a can of spray paint and uses an electromagnetic vale to release paint dots 200 times per second, according to SprayPrinter. The phone tracks an LED light in the back of the printer with enough precision to detect when the user has missed a spot.
According to Digital Trends, inventor Mihkel Joala was inspired by engines that could release fuel with immense precision and control. He claims that the device "mixes creativity with complex software based algorithms to build a completely unique - space product."
Accurate spatial detection with the help of a gyroscope and accelerometer working with micro-devices for accurate nozzle control. Much like the drone revolution the availability of this complex handheld technology was fueled by smartphones, Marketwatch reported.
SprayPrinter is a high-tech twist on dot matrix or impact matrix printing. This is where a head moves over an area to dispense ink. Much like silk-screening and magazine printing, different colors are layered as the design progresses with different cans of paint. Pre-commercial attempts featured in Gizmodo by the Graffiti Research Lab mimicked the design of a printer head to release paint pixel by pixel.
SprayPrinter is a crowdfunded effort and retails at $149. The technology offers a look that is both unique and reproducible. It is cleaner than projection methods and far more dynamic than stencils or decals. Interior designer Martti Russ says "these tools open up a new world for designing walls."
Watch it in action below:
