Automatypewriter

Preview videos of Jonathan Guberman’s Automatypewriter have swept the web (Boing Boing, Slashdot, Design Boom). From Jonathan’s own description at his site, Up Not North:

Introducing the Automatypewriter, a new way to experience interactive fiction! A typewriter that can type on its own, as well as detect what you type on it. By reading what it types to you and responding, it can be used interactively to play a game or participate in a story (in this case, Zork).

This very cool device was created here at the Site 3 Colaboratory. Combined the solid physical mechanisms and digital conventions and content creates an experience that’s great fun to experience.

There’s much more planned both in hardware and software/content. Jonathan’s currently working on a second typewriter. Incorporating the lessons of the initial build and upgrading to a beautiful old Oliver typewriter that’s engineered like a military hardware.

The hardware is designed as a platform for a new text adventure game being created by Toronto novelist Jim Munroe. So 2011 promises much with the exciting unveiling of the complete Automatypewriter experience.