Pixelate

Pixelate is a Guitar-Hero-style eating game in which players compete in a one-minute showdown to see who can eat the most food in the correct order.

A digital interface built into a custom dining table shows players which foods to eat and when, while the game detects whether they’ve eaten the correct food by measuring the food’s resistance on the fork. Potential applications for Pixelate include encouraging children to eat more healthy foods, helping to manage portions, and educating children and adults about nutrition. Built using Arduino and openFrameworks, Pixelate gameifies the act of eating, challenging players to consider whether they think before they eat, or eat before they think.

Prototype

We presented a working prototype to the Design Interactions department of the Royal College of Art, using carrots, potatoes, bananas and strawberries as our test foods. Here a projector was used to project the game interface on the table.

Process

Different foods have different resistances. We conducted a series of experiments to determine how to sense the food, and which foods are electrically distinct enough to work in the game.

Credits

Created in collaboration with Lana Z Porter.
Pixelate was developed using OpenFrameworks and Arduino.
Prototyping Support: Mohammed Ali and Johanna Schmeer.
Thanks: Tom Hulbert, Channing Ritter and Marcel Helmer.

Publication

Book: Every Day is Play – A Celebration of the Video Game