Airhockey Over A Distance

Juniper Foo | Aug 03, 2006

Hard to imagine playing a vigorously physical game like Airhockey remotely. There's the table. There's the puck. Where's the opponent? What's been done here is to split the table in half, with the two ends connected via a network. Much like videoconferencing, the players can see and hear each other, creating the illusion of playing together at one table. And they do shoot a real puck back and forth in a bid to score a goal. The trick is that once the puck passes the midway line, its location is sensed, and a corresponding physical puck is shot out at the other table. Score one for the makers for proving that distance is no barrier.

See illustration | side view | the board | close-up of the rotating puck cannons

Price: N.A.
Availability: Australian-based concept, watch the demo vids at the Web site
Device: Virtual airhockey
Basic specs: N.A.

Filed under: Games and Gear
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