Electrick is a new technology that allows you to spray pretty much any surface to enable it as a touch input, meaning you can transform your instruments into touchpads.

You’ve no doubt seen the crazy combinations of technology and instruments out there already, guitars with theremins, keyboards with sequencers and synthesisers built in, and so on. Electrick is different, using electric field tomography to make any surface touch sensitive – opening a massive host of potential for music.

The spray conducts electricity meaning that any surface attached becomes live with the potential to connect it up for a whole range of uses. The electrodes tracks touch as it measures voltage across it’s area, reacting to any human touch. Spray it onto guitar, connect that to your computer and suddenly you have access to a whole new layer. Use it to turn on effects, add tremolo, or anything you can imagine being done with your touch!

The developers say: “Our technique can also bring touch interactivity to rapidly fabricated objects, including those that are laser cut or 3D printed. Through a series of studies and illustrative example uses, we show that Electrick can enable new interactive opportunities on a diverse set of objects and surfaces that were previously static.”