Any Surface Can Now Become an Interactive Work of Art

The Intersection of Art and Tech

When art and technology collide, even the most ubiquitous and boring aspects of our lives can become new and exciting. Case in point: Lumes, a light-emitting wall panel created by the Australian company ENESS that can transform ordinary walls into creative, interactive spaces.

Though it looks like an average wall from afar, Lumes is designed to display animations through its integrated LED array when someone walks past it, thus triggering the wall's motion-activated sensors. The technology can even recognize when someone moves in closer to the wall and respond with expanding animations.

Once the Lumes panels have been installed, the animations displayed can be remotely adjusted to the customer's preference using the ENESS's proprietary software. The panels can be easily integrated into existing surfaces and can be constructed according to the desired dimensions.

A Cheerful Transformation

The first Lumes panel on display can be found in Austratia at the entrance of the Cabrini Hospital's Pediatrics Ward in Malvern, Victoria. The kid-friendly animations on display there include animals peering from behind grass, falling raindrops, and runners that follow the movements of the humans in front of them.

The hospital hopes the Lumes panels will ease anxiety among children, but beyond its obvious aesthetic and therapeutic value, the technology could be used for various practical applications as well, particularly with ENESS gearing up to provide more interactivity through the Lumes installations.

Eventually, they hope to be able to make the animations responsive to sound and integrate touch- and heat-sensitivity into the current technology. Those additional features would make Lumes very useful within industries such as retail and advertising. It could also be a more effective and efficient alternative to traditional directional signage at places like airports or bus terminals. Eventually, even the more boring wall could become a beautiful (and functional) work of art.