The ‘Wheel of Trouble’ is a workshop in which participants have to solve random problems by building a machine. The problems are on post-its placed on a wheel of fortune and you have to solve the problem you land on after your spin.
The workshop is a gracious nod to ubiquitous tech thinking. It seems like nowadays everything needs to be solved with technology but sometimes that’s not the way at all. Can you literally solve every problem with a machine?
With the ‘Wheel of Trouble’ problems can be brought up by anyone. These can be any kinds of problems: practical, emotional, theoretical… A great help in finding relevant problems is the autocomplete function of Google.
Everyone who dares to take on the challenge is invited to spin the wheel. The problem that you land on is then tackled together with a team of inventors and masterminds. Any and all high- and low-tech resources are used as well as any materials and tools that are available.
The result is a miscellaneous collection of useful, nonsensical, genius and hilarious devices that form a museum collection in itself. Or, of course, they can be used immediately.
Machines built in previous workshops:
- A toilet seat that closes by itself
- A helmet with built-in hand that starts hitting when you sing
- A grave where you can talk to the dead through a telephone receiver
- A device that chooses your meal for you
- A harness that drives away flies
- A portable room where you can concentrate better
The workshop was previously conducted with students from the Academy of Pop Culture and at the Groninger Researchers Night.
