A group of friends in Uruguay have created a physical 3D Pong table, based on the infamous game from Atari released in 1972 – blocky shape with black and white colour scheme and all!
The group, led by David Perdomo, have been working on the Pong Project since 2014, using their evenings and weekends to make their dream a reality. Not even lack of knowledge or experience in electronics, production design or manufacturing could stop them!
Perdomo says they picked up the required skills and knowledge online, using a mixture of Google, YouTube and forums. The working prototype was completed this year and is an incredible testament to power of curiosity and sheer determination.
So how does the table work? Essentially, it works the same as the virtual game. Each player moves their paddles with knobs similar to the original arcade controls, and the angle at which the ball hits the paddle determines it’s trajectory as it bounces back towards the other player.
The group has produced a video showing the construction process and inner workings of the table, as well as the working prototype which seems to be A) a faithful mechanical recreation of the original game and B) has been designed and detailed with an authentic retro style that makes it look store ready – including Pong logo!
The table operates using a series of pulleys, belts and magnets to move the paddles and ball, and to recreate the physics seen in the game. It also features an integrated scoreboard and an illuminated band of multi-coloured LEDs around the edge of the playfield, which flashes white lights when the ball hits the side during play. While the Pong table is not being used, the lights cycle through a soothing rainbow.
This is a clever and unique take on a classic and famous arcade game, although it’s not actually a licensed product, so that may or may not cause problems for the group who are now looking for a hardware incubator and anyone interested in turning the Pong Project into a market product.
You can see more about the project on their Facebook page, or, you can check out the video below for some more insight:
