Talking Families: Part 1

Between September 17 and October 15, kids aged 10 to 14 and their parents/caregivers are participating in a MoMA Family Art Workshop connected to the Talk to Me exhibition. After viewing and discussing objects in the exhibition, the family groups have developed their own communication-related inventions. We have invited them to share their projects here.

Inventors: Will and Steve Loffredo
Age of inventors: 11 and 42
Invention: Hot Shot

Sensors in the floor of a basketball court measure your distance from the basket. Feedback is offered visually or aurally, letting you know the distance of your shot and the point value. Play and measurements can be leveled for high school, college, or NBA. The Hot Shot will help prevent arguments about the value of a given shot.

Inventors: Willo Dokic and Shira Loewenberg
Age of inventors: 11 and 44
Invention: Give Me My Space

Inspired by a crowded hall on the first day of school, Give Me My Space offers aural and haptic feedback to people who bump into others. When they feel the push or sound of the object, they might be inclined to ask, “What was that?” Hopefully, this will prompt discussions about personal space. The yarn softens the edges, and is red to alert people (and if it happens to draw blood, it will blend in).

Inventors: Stefan Leonardo, Suzie Baer, Paul and Fred Hechinger
Age of inventors: 10, 45, 50, 11
Invention: Mpower

“Never run out.” Mpower is a portable, renewable power source that can accept any number of inputs. Perfect for travel, this device offers flexible power sources and is infinitely adaptable. LEED certified, this product uses wind and solar power to stay green.

Inventors: Teddy Rosen and Charlotte Maier
Age of inventors: 14 and 55
Invention: REM Harness

REM Harness captures the energy of your dreams as a renewable energy source to provide power to your home. The box displays how much power has been stored, and includes earbuds designed to help people sleep.

Inventors: Zev and Meredith Lichtenberg
Age of inventors: 10 and 39
Invention: Chicken Chucker

The Chicken Chucker has a dual purpose: to help children exercise and help chickens achieve their dream to fly. Children run down the straightaway, jump as high as they can, and launch the chickens in the air into a pile of pillows.

Inventors: John, Liana, and Jane Bock Chow
Age of inventors: 50’s and 11
Invention: Start My Day

An object for storage, dispersal, and time management, Start My Day is the perfect compliment to the hectic pace of modern life. Connected to an iPod calendar, objects automatically fall from compartments at designated times.