The Alice Chess Set
Pearl — July 17, 2008 — Life-Stages
References: yasminsethi & pan-dan.blogspot
Remember the Cheshire Cat in "Alice in Wonderland"? It slowly disappeared, leaving nothing but a smile. Well, this unusual chess set by Yasmin Sethi does that same disappearing trick. The chess pieces are actually opaque and turn transparent only when placed on the board, revealing what that piece is. Each piece loses its transparency if removed from the board.
"This is a comment on how a chess piece has no value unless it is in play on the board. If removed from the board, a pawn and a queen are equal, in that neither have any value," Sethi says of the design.
The Alice chess set was indeed inspired by the Lewis Carroll book, his other one entitled "Alice Through the Looking Glass" where Alice goes through a mirror and lands up on the other side and is caught up in chess game. The chessboard is made from a material called LightPoints which is a glass with LEDs embedded in it. The pieces themselves are coated with mirona, a material which turns transparent in light. When each piece touches the chessboard, the electrical circuit is complete and the LED light below makes it transparent.
"This is a comment on how a chess piece has no value unless it is in play on the board. If removed from the board, a pawn and a queen are equal, in that neither have any value," Sethi says of the design.
The Alice chess set was indeed inspired by the Lewis Carroll book, his other one entitled "Alice Through the Looking Glass" where Alice goes through a mirror and lands up on the other side and is caught up in chess game. The chessboard is made from a material called LightPoints which is a glass with LEDs embedded in it. The pieces themselves are coated with mirona, a material which turns transparent in light. When each piece touches the chessboard, the electrical circuit is complete and the LED light below makes it transparent.
Trend Themes
1. Transparent Chess Sets - Opportunities for innovating chess sets by introducing disappearing and reappearing chess pieces
2. Interactive Gaming Products - Designing interactive gaming products like chess sets that use embedded technology to transform user experience
3. Novelty Board Games - Creating novelty board games with a modern touch to appeal to the contemporary audience
Industry Implications
1. Toy Industry - Developing interactive chess sets with disappearing and reappearing pieces to offer a tactile tool for children to learn strategy and critical thinking
2. Gifts and Novelties Industry - Designing modern chess sets with disappearing pieces as unique and quirky gift items
3. Electronics Industry - Introducing embedded technology in board games like chess to offer an interactive gaming experience and cater to the demand for smart products
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