Shockcube

Touch based entertainment environment featuring haptic pain feedback.

About

Utilising a large multi-touch surface, multiple electrodes and an entertaining array of mini-games our team created an engaging game environment featuring haptic pain feedback. The idea is for each player to be outfitted with multiple electrodes throughout the body and as this player successfully navigates through various challenges their opponents are physically shocked. The experience of beating your opponent physically rather than virtually certainly makes for interesting gameplay.

Before mini-games or a cube came the idea for incorporating true pain feedback into an entertainment system. With vibration becoming a fundamental experience of any modern game we aimed to take that a step further to provide an increasingly realistic form of feedback more faithful to the win and lose dynamic of any game. Armed with this and a rising popularity in haptic surfaces, especially in the gaming industry, we created what is now the ShockCube.

The Game Mechanic

When you miss a target, get hit or fail to repeat a correct pattern you will get shocked. This will start at a level of 1. You have what could be described as "nine lives". Every subsequent mistake will increment your counter by 1. Each level is more powerful and thus painful than the last. As the punishment for your mistakes increases you will start to become stressed and tense over your next possible mistake. By the time you reach 9 you will dread 10. Meanwhile this will create much amusement for your more able friends, as they watch on with a mere pain meter of 3.

The decision is left to the player where they wish to place the shock pads but we do suggest the arms for the most entertaining experience. Placing pads here makes it quite a challenge to even operate the game at higher levels and does cause players to 'tap out' after a few shocks. However when introduced into more lively social environments more creative suggestions for placement tend to emerge.