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Physical Interaction Design

Project: Voobox
By Michal Rinott Peggy Thoeny & Simona Brusa Pasque'

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Project Overview
The Voobox project is composed of two boxes: a voodoo-doll input box, and an audio + printer output box. Sticking the voodoo needle into the marked body parts of the voodoo doll-box produces a sound in the output box - an auditory feedback to the piercing action. At the end of the voodoo session, the final output is produced - a printed bill. The bill containes a detailed count of the body areas pierced and a total sum to be paid. The bill ends with the words: "Thank you for using Voobox".

The Voobox Idea
 Voodoo happens at a distance. It's an intense emotional attempt to influence and control something remote. It belongs to a world of spiritual, dark rituals.
Voobox explores the contrast between the spiritual connotation of the input and the technological connotation of the output. It poses the question - who is in control? If there is a system recording, counting and billing my voodoo interaction, is this a service? Was I using the Voobox or was it using me? Is it processing my data in some way? What do my piercing actions say about me?
 

Input box
Sticking the voodoo needle into the doll's eye
Ouput box
The bill being printed,
total: 49,99$
Voobox in action
Watch a quicktime movie of the interaction.

 

Source Code (BasicX-24 Code)
» Input Box
» Output Box


Circuit Diagrams
» Input Box
» Output Box

 

  © 2002 Interaction Design Institute Ivrea