InvisiBall is a new game concept for two persons. It’s a game played in a pitch black room, blindfolded or by blind people. It includes 3-dimensional sounds, infrared sensors and music. It’s not easy to explain how the game is played. It has to be experienced. InvisiBall is invented, composed and designed by Håkan Lidbo, developed and programmed by Magnus Frenning and Jonatan Liljedahl. The project was awarded with 2011 year’s Swedish Post and Telecom Agency’s innovation prize for making culture and sports more accessible for people with disabilities.
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Here is a video that describes the game and the concept., Photo: Gordon Andersson, editing: Håkan Lidbo, players: Karin Johansson and Karin Johansson.
The components of Invisiball are:
1. A computer that controls the game with a 3-d model of the court.
2. The court surrounded by 4 speakers and a subwoofer for extra musical depth.
3. Two tweaked Wii-motes in the middle of the court, reading infrared light.
4. Two rackets sending infrared light.
5. A TV screen, for the audience, that visualize the path of the ball and the position of the rackets.
The court is set up in a dark room, minimum size 4m x 10 m. The instructions how to play InvisiBall is told by a voice from the speakers. This voice will also guide the players through out the game.
The racket send infrared light in all directions. Each racket have 20 built-in IR lights. The Wii-motes read the position of the racket. The rackets generate a tone depending on it’s position. The tones are quantized to a melodic scale and a tempo that is synchronized with background music. The racket becomes a simple musical instrument and a part of the composition.
The position of the ball generates a tone. The pitch of the tone represent the height of the ball’s path in every moment. The four speakers create the depth and width. The topic of InvisiBall is to match the pitch and position of the ball with the melody and position of the racket.
Here is InvisiBall featured in the Russian web show Music Of The Future. Two musicians play InvisiBall and use the sound they create, when playing the game, to make a new collaborative song: