The Ghost Detector 9000 Can Locate Ghosts in Your Escape Rooms

Augmented and mixed reality technology have done a lot to generate interest in gaming within the real world. Pokémon Go famously convinced gamers to venture out of their homes in search of elusive and rare virtual creatures. Similar gameplay mechanic possibilities are almost endless, but people want to do more than just press buttons on their smartphones. To facilitate all kinds of interesting paranormal-themed gameplay, Jules Stuart built The Ghost Detector 9000.

Stuart very purposefully designed The Ghost Detector 9000 to look a little bit silly, like a prop from a cheesy low-budget '80s sci-fi movie. As such, it is perfect as part of a Halloween costume. But it is also a lot more than that.

In fact, it is a legitimate ghost detector—at least as much as anything is. It incorporates an EMF (Electromagnetic Field) meter, which is standard equipment for paranormal investigation. To be clear, there isn't any proof that ghosts exist or that a paranormal phenomenon would emit an EMF even if they did. But if you believe in such things, an EMF meter is as good as anything else.

But the real intent behind The Ghost Detector 9000 is gameplay. It can act as a kind of interactive element of escape rooms, mixed reality experiences, or even haunted houses. For example, an escape room might challenge players to determine the location of a "ghost" to proceed. A haunted house could give a visitor The Ghost Detector 9000 and then generate "ghosts" to spook them.

Stuart designed The Ghost Detector 9000 to accommodate those different potential applications. Inside is a Raspberry Pi Zero that receives data from two sensors via I2C. The first is an IMU so the device can monitor its own movement and orientation. The second is an ADC (analog-to-digital converter) so it can sense varying EMF levels. Stuart programmed the "GPU" (Ghost Processing Unit) software in Rust, so it should be speedy and reliable. He built the GPU so that users could tailor it to fit their use cases.

Anyone that builds The Ghost Detector 9000 can get creative with the physical design of the device, but Stuart built his in the body of a spotlight-style flashlight. Power comes from a PiSugar and a bunch of LEDs make it look like something a Ghostbuster would carry. A USB audio interface allows for the connection of headphones or a speaker, enabling sound effects.

If you have any interest in developing a ghost hunting mixed reality game, then The Ghost Detector 9000 is perfect for you.