Shariff Faleel Posts Publications
2026 July 3

A Shape-Changing Afterimage Display Preserving Pixel Density During Surface-Area Changes Across Troposkein-Based Shapes.

Applications of the MorphSkein system. (top left) The system adapts its axisymmetric display shape to context. In this interactive museum exhibit on climate change, it morphs into a cylinder-like display to present (a) rotating textual summaries of global temperature rise since 1880 or (b) a rotating line chart of year-by-year temperature changes to surrounding visitors. It then (c) transitions to a disk-like configuration, transforming the linear chart into a circular overview of the full temporal dataset. When geographical context is needed, the system further (d) morphs into a sphere-like display to render a global temperature heatmap on a planet-shaped surface. (e) Portions of the sphere can be selectively removed to return to a cylinder-like form, enabling a switch back to textual or line-chart visualizations for specific nearby visitors. (top right) The system encodes 360°-visible data. In public spaces, workspaces or households, it shows cumulative energy production (green) and consumption (blue) over (f) 0, (g) 15, and (h) 30 days, supporting shared awareness of energy information from any viewing angle. (bottom left) The system renders axisymmetric 3D objects. In museums, classrooms, or planetariums, it displays planetary surfaces—(i) Mars, (j) Venus, (k) Earth—and (l) their internal layers, preserving proportions for fair comparison of size, structure, and appearance. (bottom right) The system augments traditional visualizations with omnidirectional, mesmerizing transformations. In music festivals, art galleries or performance spaces, it (m) renders dynamic audio spectrum analyzers that surround the display, creating an immersive visual experience that entertains attendees from all directions.
Applications of the MorphSkein system. (top left) The system adapts its axisymmetric display shape to context. In this interactive museum exhibit on climate change, it morphs into a cylinder-like display to present (a) rotating textual summaries of global temperature rise since 1880 or (b) a rotating line chart of year-by-year temperature changes to surrounding visitors. It then (c) transitions to a disk-like configuration, transforming the linear chart into a circular overview of the full temporal dataset. When geographical context is needed, the system further (d) morphs into a sphere-like display to render a global temperature heatmap on a planet-shaped surface. (e) Portions of the sphere can be selectively removed to return to a cylinder-like form, enabling a switch back to textual or line-chart visualizations for specific nearby visitors. (top right) The system encodes 360°-visible data. In public spaces, workspaces or households, it shows cumulative energy production (green) and consumption (blue) over (f) 0, (g) 15, and (h) 30 days, supporting shared awareness of energy information from any viewing angle. (bottom left) The system renders axisymmetric 3D objects. In museums, classrooms, or planetariums, it displays planetary surfaces—(i) Mars, (j) Venus, (k) Earth—and (l) their internal layers, preserving proportions for fair comparison of size, structure, and appearance. (bottom right) The system augments traditional visualizations with omnidirectional, mesmerizing transformations. In music festivals, art galleries or performance spaces, it (m) renders dynamic audio spectrum analyzers that surround the display, creating an immersive visual experience that entertains attendees from all directions.
Type:
Conference
Authors:
Maxime Daniel, Shariff AM Faleel, and Pourang Irani
Venue:
SIGGRAPH '26
Date of publication:
2026 July 3
URL:
10.1145/3811320
pdf download:
FilePDF
Abstract:
Shape-changing displays typically lose pixel density as surface area expands, limiting their usability. We introduce MorphSkein, a shape-changing after-image display that preserves initial density (1.44 px/cm2) across naturally occurring axisymmetric shapes generated by spinning cables (troposkeins). The system uses a telescopic pole and four LED-strip rewinders on a rotating base. As the strips spin, centrifugal force forms troposkeins, and persistence of vision creates 360°-visible displays, while adjusting pole height and strip lengths changes their shape. As surface area grows, pixel density is preserved vertically by releasing new rows from the rewinders and horizontally by rendering extra columns per revolution with the strips. This keeps comparable density along the central horizontal line of the display, with naturally higher density toward the top and bottom where the troposkein curves inward. Because the technique relies on a mathematical model assuming ideal troposkein geometry, angular velocity becomes critical: incorrect speeds degrade pixel density accuracy, axisymmetric shape fidelity, or both. Interpolation of experimental data shows that 69.44% of reachable troposkein configurations achieve ≥90% density accuracy and shape fidelity for at least one operating speed. Remaining cases degrade due to insufficient motor speed or limited MCU speed and LED refresh rate. Limitations and improvements are discussed.
Citation:
Maxime Daniel, Shariff AM Faleel, and Pourang Irani. 2026. MorphSkein: A Shape-Changing Afterimage Display Preserving Pixel Density During Surface-Area Changes Across Troposkein-Based Shapes. ACM Trans. Graph. 45, 4, Article 40 (July 2026), 11 pages. https://doi.org/10.1145/3811320
Inspired by troposkeins, MorphSkein is an afterimage display performing axisymmetric (360°-visible) shape transformations while maintaining pixel density: it combines a spinning base, a telescopic pole, and LED strip rewinders to generate troposkein-based afterimages, dynamically adjusting pixel resolution to match the displayed surface. Our technique enables control over the form, scale, transparency, and superimposition of axisymmetric displays.
@article{10.1145/3811320,
  author = {Daniel, Maxime and Faleel, Shariff AM and Irani, Pourang},
  title = {MorphSkein: A Shape-Changing Afterimage Display Preserving Pixel Density During Surface-Area Changes Across Troposkein-Based Shapes},
  year = {2026},
  issue_date = {July 2026},
  publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
  address = {New York, NY, USA},
  volume = {45},
  number = {4},
  issn = {0730-0301},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3811320},
  doi = {10.1145/3811320},
  abstract = {Shape-changing displays typically lose pixel density as surface area expands, limiting their usability. We introduce MorphSkein, a shape-changing after-image display that preserves initial density (1.44 px/cm2) across naturally occurring axisymmetric shapes generated by spinning cables (troposkeins). The system uses a telescopic pole and four LED-strip rewinders on a rotating base. As the strips spin, centrifugal force forms troposkeins, and persistence of vision creates 360°-visible displays, while adjusting pole height and strip lengths changes their shape. As surface area grows, pixel density is preserved vertically by releasing new rows from the rewinders and horizontally by rendering extra columns per revolution with the strips. This keeps comparable density along the central horizontal line of the display, with naturally higher density toward the top and bottom where the troposkein curves inward. Because the technique relies on a mathematical model assuming ideal troposkein geometry, angular velocity becomes critical: incorrect speeds degrade pixel density accuracy, axisymmetric shape fidelity, or both. Interpolation of experimental data shows that 69.44% of reachable troposkein configurations achieve ≥90% density accuracy and shape fidelity for at least one operating speed. Remaining cases degrade due to insufficient motor speed or limited MCU speed and LED refresh rate. Limitations and improvements are discussed.},
  journal = {ACM Trans. Graph.},
  month = jul,
  articleno = {40},
  numpages = {11}
}
© 2026 Shariff Faleel