Dispray: The Design of an AR-Augmented Airbrush for Electroluminescent Display Fabrication

Paper Title

Dispray: The Design of an AR-Augmented Airbrush for Electroluminescent Display Fabrication

Publication Info

• Topic area: Augmented reality tools for active material fabrication
• Keywords: AR, personal fabrication, electroluminescent displays, airbrush, active materials, hybrid guidance, user-centered design, novice learning, interactive devices, material-centric fabrication

Background and Problem

• Problem / challenge: Fabrication of electroluminescent (EL) displays using airbrushing is skill-intensive, requiring precise deposition and domain-specific knowledge, which limits accessibility for non-specialists.
• Significance: Democratizing access to EL display fabrication could enable broader adoption and innovation in personal fabrication, particularly for interactive devices.
• Motivation and related work: Prior works have explored EL materials and deposition methods like spraying, but these approaches often demand significant expertise. Existing tools lack integrated support for learning and guidance, creating barriers for non-specialist makers. This paper addresses these gaps by developing a tool that embeds domain knowledge and supports novice users.

Solution

• Proposed approach: Dispray, an AR-augmented airbrush tool designed to support the fabrication of EL displays by integrating real-time guidance, domain knowledge, and a user-friendly interface.
• Novelty:
  1. Development of a hybrid guidance system combining manual control with AR-based computational feedback.
  2. Integration of an AR interface for real-time visualization and iterative design during fabrication.
  3. Compact, self-contained tool design leveraging a smartphone for accessibility and portability.
  4. Inclusion of structured learning features to support novice users in mastering EL spraying.
• Procedure and key techniques:
  1. Conducted design workshops with 12 stakeholders (artists and engineers) to identify constraints and requirements.
  2. Iteratively developed a high-fidelity prototype incorporating AR, a smartphone interface, and ergonomic features.
  3. Evaluated the tool through studies with stakeholders and novice users, focusing on usability, learning support, and functional fabrication.

Results

• Concrete findings:
  • Novices successfully created EL displays after three 1-hour sessions, though with a 50% failure rate due to errors like overspray, poor positioning, and layer misordering.
  • The tool’s AR interface and structured guidance effectively supported learning, with participants reporting increased confidence and skill over time.
  • The Dispray prototype cost £41.29 (excluding airbrush and smartphone) and weighed 105g (plus phone and airbrush).
• Advantage over baselines:
  • Dispray uniquely combines AR guidance, embedded domain knowledge, and a compact design, addressing barriers in EL spraying that prior tools did not.
  • Supports iterative design and real-time feedback, enabling users to refine their work during fabrication.
• Experiments / evaluation:
  • Study 1: Design workshops with 12 stakeholders identified constraints and tool requirements.
  • Study 2: In-person evaluations with stakeholders validated the tool’s usability and design choices.
  • Study 3: Novice users tested the tool over three sessions, producing functional EL displays and providing feedback on learning support.
• Limitations and future work:
  • Ergonomic issues, such as tool weight and balance, need improvement.
  • High failure rates in novice outputs highlight the need for further refinement in guidance and error prevention.
  • Future work includes exploring automation, interactive fabrication, and community-driven development.

Summary

Dispray is an AR-augmented airbrush tool designed to make EL display fabrication accessible to non-specialists. By integrating hybrid guidance, AR visualization, and structured learning features, it supports both functional fabrication and skill acquisition. Evaluations with stakeholders and novices demonstrated its potential to lower barriers to entry, though ergonomic and usability refinements are needed. Dispray represents a step toward democratizing active material fabrication, with implications for broader adoption and innovation in personal fabrication.