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. 🙂

I really liked this idea of saving retail space by placing a huge screen inside stores to give buyers a high tech and visual experience. The idea isn’t new and has been around for a few years. However, CenterStage is unique in that it blurs the lines between broadcasting and interactions without undermining the potential of either by incorporating with Creative Director Lutz Vogela nd visual effects powerhouse Method.
Despite the wonderful concept of CenterStage, one concern that I have for it is the unstableness of technology. In case the machine breaks during store hours then it will be a great damage to the company’s reputation and will be detrimental to their revenue for the period the system is down.