Carnegie Mellon University’s Future Interfaces Group research lab has developed a way to spill your smartphone’s screen onto just about any surface.

Dubbed “Desktopography,” this self-contained prototype uses a custom overhead projector equipped with a camera and built-in Android computer. The team used this equipment to overlay an Android smartphone interface with interactive capabilities.

The prototype device isn’t limited to just a stationary, rectangular projection. Users can drag, resize, minimize icons, and rotate the casted display. The responsive interface will also function on non-flat surfaces.

Wherever you decide to overlay the virtual smartphone screen, the system will make sure it’s always in perfect view. If someone or something obscures the virtual notepad, the app will automatic adjust itself to the nearest open space.

The projector itself has a standard lightbulb screw connector at its end, which makes installation quick and easy. These projector lightbulbs can be installed in multiple areas throughout a household and synced to the consumer’s WiFi network. This will allow for users to roam about the house while still accessing the same virtual apps and files in each location.

The system draws power from the bulb socket, so users don’t have to budget in time for the device to recharge. Furthermore, a finger-tracking algorithm eliminates the need for additional sensors.

The full details of the research will be presented in a paper at the Symposium on Engineering Interactive Computing Systems in Lisbon, Portugal. Although, a pre-print version can be found here.  

Watch the Desktopography demonstration in the video below.