PING
From On-signal: Projects & Research
Contents |
Conceptual description
A new way of experiencing a ping-pong game, exploring the boundaries between the physical and the virtual. A game of ping-pong is played with a person located in another room. When in one room a ball is hit, in the other room a ball is launched, which then can be hit again by the opponent to again launch a ball back. The two opponents see eachother through a live video-projection, allowing visual feedback and interaction.
Technical description
The installation consists of two identical separate spaces. Together these spaces form the “playground” of the ping installation. Each space contains a half pingpong-table, a pingpongball-canon, a bat with a touch-sensitive sensor, and a laptop. A network cable runs between the two rooms, transporting the signals of the bat sensors to the opposing canons. Furthermore, the rooms are connected by a video-link: each room has a camera which films the player and a beamer which projects the player from the other room. Additionally, this projection shows a graphical score of the gameplay and the response times of the players. Since the balls are only virtually transported to the opposing space, the actual physical ball will need to be picked up. This is why both canons have plenty of balls. During game breaks, the balls need to be loaded again into the canon.
Posibilities
Looking at the PING installation, being a concept, you could think of possible additions to the whole concept. For example, a next step could be, making the connection between the 2 rooms an 'internet based' connection. This would make it possible to play together with an opponent on the other side of the world (of coarse, the connection should be fast enough). Another addition could be, making the balls go out of the canons the direction the opponent hits them. By making the PING installation, we only provide a sort of prove this can be done. But that's why it is a concept..
Project history
We have already exhibited the PING installation twice: once for a small audience in Mediamatic, Amsterdam, last June (2007), as part of a group exhibition for Unstable Media / Interactive Design students (DOGtime/Rietveld academy).
The second time the installation was part of the Discovery07 night which took place at the PICNIC07 conference (Amsterdam at 28-09-2007). At both shows we got very positive responses from the participants and public.
More photos of the PING project
Further development
We have been invited to give a presentation about the PING installation at the ISEA 2008 (International Symposium for Electronic Arts') in Singapore this summer. The ISEA will be held from 25th till 30th of July.
We have dedicated a special page to our PING Development efforts.
As a side project some research is being done in combining a game engine with a real-life PING installation. See the Virtual PING page for more info's.
