The Electric Kid
London, England
September 2006
Moritz Waldemeyer is a Master of Mechatronics, for you and I this means the synergistic combination of mechanical engineering (“mecha” for mechanisms), electronic engineering (“tronics” for electronics), and software engineering.
Having gained a Masters Degree from Kings College London, he worked for Philips UK in their research laboratories. Here he had the freedom to invent, and his unique and innovative ideas for home entertainment and wearable electronics were only the start of what has led him to become one of the most sought after technical consultants to the design industry worldwide.
Waldemeyer has worked with a host of the most iconic design talents, ranging from Ron Arad, Philippe Starck, Zaha Hadid, Tord Boontje and Yves Behar to design clients such as Swarovski Crystal Palace, Flos and DuPontTM Corian®. Moritz has recently installed work in The Wonder Room (Selfridges), colloborated with Hussein Chalayan and is currently working as a tutor at the Royal College of Art.
Each of the three table designs, ‘Pong Table’, ‘The Roulette Table’ and ‘The Bar’ is constructed out of Corian®, the gorgeous solid material that can be formed into virtually any shape or design seamlessly. Each design is cleverly unique and the inventiveness is reflected by the touch sensitive areas allowing user interaction.
PONG TABLE
Pong released by Atari in November 1972 is one of the earliest video games to win widespread popularity in both arcades and home console versions. With this in mind Moritz’s design manages to incorporate a harmonized balance between fun and function. The pure white innocence of the table can at the flick of a switch transform itself into the competitive field of Ping Pong, where you can play Pong at your table. Inspired by the first generation computer designers that started the IT revolution in their bedrooms, ‘Pong Table’ plays homage to early video games.
ROULETTE TABLE
There is a theme of playfulness that runs through all of these concepts which is cleverly juxtaposed with fantastic contemporary furniture design. The Roulette table combines Corian’s® elegance with the international sophistication that Moritz associates with James Bond eroticism. The Roulette game plan is incorporated into the table by means of an illuminated map. The lamp above the table reveals an inverted roulette wheel, the rolling ball of which is represented by moving lights circumnavigation the outer edge.
THE BAR
The Bar has simple, yet elegant lines which emphasize the qualities of the Corian® material. The luxurious optical properties of the material and its silky smooth surface invite you to touch it. This simple touch of the bar’s counter area releases a shower of virtual water droplets, which will fall down the front face of the bar, a playful decoration that refers to the refreshing chilled drinks that are being served to the urban party guests.
The realism of the falling water droplets will be achieved by precise calculation of the physics of falling drops, to add a little measure of uber geekiness to the design mix.