A noisy pinball machine.

Hugo Ball is operated via voice control.

Hugo Ball is a critical (and fun) approach to voice control. While more and more technical devices can be operated by voice, we questioned the borders and possibilities of this trend. We found inspiration in dadaist writers like Hugo Ball, who lost confidence in human speech for other reasons. The university project was accompanied  by students of computer science, nju studio and the fraunhofer institute.

→ together with NjU

Losing / gaining control.

Hugo Ball is a voice controlled pinball machine. The pins are connected to a microphone and can be moved with different sound patterns. Deep tones connect to the right pin, high tones to the left one – the louder the volume the stronger the swing of the pins. As the usual control buttons are replaced by a microphone, this pinball game challenges our familiar interaction with machines. It’s an invitation to new gaming interaction or a praise of mechanical control elements.

Industrial Design & Informatics.

In this interdisciplinary university project we worked in a group of five students. My part was to create the gaming concept, visualize 3D-Models and build prototypes as well as the final pinball machine. Students of Informatics programmed the voice recognition system and together we brought this pinball machine to life. (Team Members: Dorothea Grimm, Christina Mayr, Tanja Mögn, Roman Balzer, & Alex Roser)