Zombitron: towards a toolbox for repurposing obsolete smartphones into new interactive systems
Abstract
This article explores the possibilities of reusing obsolete smartphones and tablets to build new interactive systems. Taking the case of a musical instrument, I present my research into the design of a controller made from various of these obsolete smartphones. From the diagnostic stage to the creation of a new autonomous electronic object, I document the process, the barriers and the levers encountered. Based on these explorations and discussions with two professional musicians, I provide several insights into the software and hardware aspects, with a view to continuing this work, towards the creation of an open-source toolkit enabling anyone to build new interactive systems with old devices. I discuss the implication of how a high-level web-based approach could allow designers to enter the black box and foster permacomputing using smartphones.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2508.06354,
title = {Zombitron: towards a toolbox for repurposing obsolete smartphones into new interactive systems},
author = {Clara Rigaud},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.06354},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
Post-proceedings paper presented at LIMITS 2025: 11th Workshop on Computing within Limits, 2025-06-26/27, Online