Soul Dingers

Inspiration

In many ways, artificial intelligence feels like magic.

A photo can turn into an animation, and a simple command can create a whole world.

It gives us the feeling that we can make something out of nothing.

I wanted to bring that “AI-like magic” into real life.

That’s how Soul Dinger was created. When people think about soul catching, they picture a spell, a ritual hidden in fog and light. I wanted to make that feeling real — not through fantasy, but through interaction.

What it does

When you place your hand above the cauldron, the sensors wake up. The lights start to shift, and the projection comes alive. On the screen, a digital claw machine appears, filled with glowing orbs that move like little spirits.

You move your hand to guide the claw, and when you make a fist, it drops down to grab one of the orbs. Each one acts like a trapped soul, shaking and trying to get away from you.

When you finally catch one, it turns into something unexpectedly human. a soul linked to a work visa, a forgotten strawberry in the freezer, a ghosted text, or a memory you didn’t even realize you’d lost.

1. Immersive Installation Version This version is presented with a physical witch cauldron, projection mapping, responsive lighting, and spatial audio. Players interact using the same browser-based system, but the environment amplifies the ritual — making the experience theatrical, embodied, and atmospheric.

2. Remote Webcam Version (Online Play) The game is fully playable through any standard laptop webcam directly in a browser. Players perform the same gestures — an open hand to move the claw, and a fist to cast the spell — just without the physical cauldron and environmental lighting effects.

How we built it

I built a custom cauldron equipped with a webcam, an infrared sensor, and responsive lighting. The system uses MediaPipe Hands for real-time gesture tracking, mapping hand movements directly to the digital claw.

Sound, light, and motion come together as one interactive spell.

I used Adobe Photoshop to prepare and refine the visuals. Some additional textures and conceptual references were generated using Freepik AI. I also used Gemini to explore ideas, test variations, and help shape certain mechanic decisions during development. A few visual assets were processed and enhanced with OPENART to create subtle surreal effects. Everything was finalized and polished in CapCut.

Lighting and projection respond instantly, creating a seamless illusion between the hands and the virtual world.

Challenges we ran into

The concept and overall idea of the game took quite a while to figure out. Synchronizing the camera, sensor, and lighting timing required constant calibration and testing.

When using AI tools to generate reference images, it was sometimes hard to get consistent results. The visuals didn’t always match the tone I had in mind, so I had to go through many rounds of prompts and adjustments to make everything feel cohesive.

Balancing the mood was another challenge—finding the right line between eerie and funny, between tension and wonder.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

People often said it really felt like casting a spell, and that was exactly what I hoped for. Watching players smile, laugh, or even hesitate before reaching into the cauldron made every long night of building worth it. It showed me that interaction alone can create emotion, curiosity, tension, and joy, even without words or story. That small moment of connection between a person and the machine felt like real magic.

What we learned

I learned that emotion in interactive work doesn’t come from complexity. It comes from rhythm, timing, and small moments. Working with AI tools reminded me that technology is not just about efficiency. It shapes how people feel, how they connect, and how imagination becomes something you can actually touch.

What's next for Soul Dinger

I want to expand Soul Dinger into a larger experience where several people can play together and influence the world in different ways. I’m planning to add AI-generated sounds and reactive voices so that every “soul” responds differently to the person who summons it.

Built With

• an-infrared-sensor
• infrared-sensor
• javascript
• led
• mediapipe-hands
• projection-mapping
• responsive-lighting
• webcam