Dezeen · Creativity & design

Remote 'Knocker' Device Taps Wood via Smartphone App

Designers Shashwath Santosh and Nithin Eluvathingal have developed a conceptual device called a "knocker" that allows users to remotely tap on wood using a smartphone application, playing on superstitions about warding off bad luck.

The small, internet-connected device attaches to a tree with a strap and features a tiny robotic arm. Users can trigger the device by pressing a button on a web app, sending a signal that causes the robotic arm to make two light taps on the tree.

The app displays the number of online devices and confirms which unit receives the knock. The designers state the device's range is "practically limitless" due to its Wi-Fi connectivity and central server communication.

The "knocker" project is part of the designers' ongoing exploration of superstitions through conceptual design, industrial design, and engineering. They aim to "celebrate 'the machine' as a medium for this interrogation" of human thought-frameworks.

The devices are designed to be installed as a "fleet," enabling the system to receive simultaneous triggers from multiple users. This builds on their previous work, which included a "black cat radar" to explore superstitions.

Santosh, based in New York, works on "experimental machines" and Google AI, while Eluvathingal, in Toronto, is a researcher and programmer. Their work often involves conceptual design objects that address social issues or explore human behaviors.

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