Repurposing Legacy Devices into a Distributed and Pervasive Display Ecosystem

The relentless smartphone and tablet replacement cycle creates a vast reservoir of unused legacy devices. While these devices may no longer be considered fashionable or up-to-date, they still retain computing power, memory, network connectivity, programmability, and high-quality, interactive screens that are often discarded. This paper argues for a fundamental shift in perspective: to view legacy mobile devices, particularly their screens, as a viable, sustainable, low-cost, and pervasive substrate for building personalised distributed display environments. To this end, we present the concept of an open framework aimed at repurposing such devices as parts of distributed and pervasive networks of intelligent sensors and displays for personal and shared applications, such as dynamic, pervasive, modular displays for personal and shared visual information. We outline some design details to support feasibility, and discuss technical, social and environmental challenges and opportunities.