Microsoft's Expressive Pixels app lets you communicate through LED displays

What you need to know

• Microsoft released an app called Expressive Pixels.
• The app allows people to visually communicate through PCs or LED displays.
• Expressive Pixels is available for free through the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft has a new tool to help people communicate through artwork. The technology is called Expressive Pixels, and it lets people communicate through animated visualizations. People can create these animations from scratch or use preexisting pieces from a community gallery. The animations run on PCs or supported LED displays, so there are several ways people can utilize the Expressive Pixels app to communicate. The app is in beta and available for free through the Microsoft Store.

Microsoft created this technology to enable people to communicate differently. Some people find verbal expression challenging for a variety of reasons. Expressive Pixels utilizes visual expression to convey emotion or messages. In addition to helping people who have difficulties with verbal communication, the Expressive Pixels app can be used as a unique tool to practice programming.

In a demo of Galactic Bell Star Music (shown above), Microsoft's technology is used to integrate animations with music. This creates a connection between music and visual displays.

Microsoft has a series of articles and videos diving deeper into the technology of Expressive Pixels and the research that went into it. A nine part series of videos from Microsoft Research shows off the technology and instructs people how to use it.