Instead of playing table tennis to destroy your opponent, Ping Pong FM puts a collaborative, musical spin on the classic game. Two players have to work together to hit the ball at the same tempo of a specific song. If both of you go too slow or miss a hit, it’s game over! The song stops playing. If the two of you can keep pace, then congratulations – you win! Enjoy the prize of listening to the sweet sounds of the entire song.

Each paddle has a contact microphone, which keeps track of the game’s progress. Both microphones “listen” to the reverberation of the ball’s strike. When the microphone registers a peak threshold, it knows one of the players hit the bouncing ball.

The audio gathered from the microphone is processed by an Arduino, which is sealed in a stylish radio case. Each player is given a Player ID, either a one (1) or a zero (0).  When a hit is registered, the Aruduino sends the current Player ID to the game’s app by means of a USB connection. The computer, which runs the companion application, advances the song’s pace according to the speed the Player ID changes. The app adjusts the song accordingly, as well as re-syncs to the beginning of a musical bar after periods of slow activity.

Maybe you should skip Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train” for your first attempt. Watch the table tennis game with a technology twist for yourself in the video below.