Jinhee Lee; Looking Outwards 10

The person whose work I am writing about is Chloe Varelidi. She has a Master’s in Fine Arts at Parsons’ Design and Technology Program. Currently she works at littleBits as a Sr. Product Strategist, and is also a resident artist at Eyebeam, making her own games.

The littleBits Analog Arcade Machine, for the 2015 Bay Area MakerFaire, presented by Kristin Salomon, Paul Rothman, and their littleBits team, of which Varelidi was a member.

The team’s projects include an arcade game that dispenses candy, an electronic drum module creating synth beats, and even an animatronic hand project that allows for games of rock-paper-scissors with a computer using one’s own hand in a glove with a wireless receiver. According to the presenters, the modules are assembled with bits (hence the name) which challenge the creators’ creative electrical engineering skills without being overly complicated, at least in terms of assembly.

The rock-paper-scissors game I find particularly interesting because of the many touches to help simulate a real game, such as using one’s own hand, having the opposing animatronic shaped like a hand, and simulating prediction of your move by detecting the subtle movements of your hand as you play.

P.S., the Donkey Kong theme is a nice touch. 🙂