I am glad to announce a new project that is in the development since July 2016 with Hakan Lidbo partnering with programmer Per-Olov Jernberg and me powered with programmers Slavko Glamočanin and Gregor Žigon, with Silvo Obrul an active member of Slovenj Gradec radio amateur club as a EME consultant and operator on the ground.
We will post news and updates here but first few words about the Moon Pong – Ping.Ping project:
Moon Pong – Ping.Ping is planned to become the largest interactive game that was ever created, with the largest natural outreach delivered and accepted trails (ie. the transmitted, received and recorded radio signal) based on EME (Earth-Moon-Earth) communications. Initiated by artists Brane Zorman and Hakan Lidbo Moon Pong – Ping.Ping is set to cross international and space borders by-passing physical limits and creating an enormously vast playground field where EME radio amateur community plays a crucial role in projects realization.
The Field:
Moon Pong – Ping.Ping play field is measured a whooping 384.000 (Earth-Moon distance) x 6,371km (radius of the planet Earth), not counting in that gets “lost” or bounced to outer space, as for the moment we believe there is no one that would join our game from there.
This project aims to bridge and cross fields of art, science and radio amateurism creating interesting and fruitful experience for everyone involved. While creating this project we were led by desire to play, explore, discover, connect and merge art methodologies with communities dealing with electromagnetic radiation and space exploration.
The Game:
By using special radio protocols and frequencies used in their daily operations, EME radio amateurs, amateur clubs and organizations around the world use targeted and computer controlled radio antennas (with diameter of 8m or more) and operate them with a laser sharp precision to send / receive Morse code identification messages to the Moon.
Player ie. server sends out Moon Pong Ball Morse radio signal pointed straight to the Moon. From the lunar surface it bounces in various directions – some heading back to the Earth while most of it gets lost in the space. Bounced signal collides with atmosphere, clouds, winds and other factors when weakened returns to Earth’s surface dispersed across a vast area (eg. Europe , Africa, Asia, the Middle East, America,..).
Spread around the globe EME radio amateurs are waiting and listening to the Moon Pong Ball bounce as it arrives around 2,5 seconds later. When they recognize and identify its sender they trigger their controllers. Players actions get through the process of verification and seconds later winner is announced and score gets updated. The last winner becomes a new server and the game continues for another 60 minutes.
The winner of the game becomes first Moon Pong – Ping.Ping champion. He or she holds the title till the next game is announced and played.