The Microcontroller-Powered MATT+ Puts Magic at the Tip of Your Thumb
From light-stealing to mind-reading, the MATT+ is a real blend of magic and science.
Magicians and makers Yoan Tanuji, Guilaume Bienné, and Guillaume Donzeau are looking to blend a little technology into people's illusions with MATT+, a "thumb tip" device controllable using a push-button switch and Bluetooth 5.0.
"MATT+ is the Most Advanced Thumb Tip ever created — a revolutionary, miniature Bluetooth remote designed for magicians, mentalists, and performers," the trio explain of their creation. "It's so small it can be discreetly hidden inside any standard thumb tip, making it virtually invisible. But that's not all! MATT+ can also be concealed in your palm, pocket, or even integrated into other accessories currently in development."
A "thumb tip" is a prosthetic thumb designed to slide over the magician's real digit, providing enough room to hide something small — like the traditional silk handkerchief. The MATT+, though, isn't a handkerchief: it's a compact microcontroller-powered RGB LED, with a push-button switch and a Bluetooth 5.0 radio linked to a companion Apple iOS app.
At its most simple, the MATT+ is a remote-controllable light — allowing the user to program custom light shows and even synchronize with the camera flash, letting the magician "steal" the light and put it back again. Its capabilities go beyond that, though, and if you don't want to read the secret behind a few common illusions you should probably skip to the end of the article now.
The MATT+ can be linked to a calculator running on the smartphone, communicating the result through vibrations for a mentalist to read the user's mind. A remote signal system, available as a paid upgrade in the app, allows the forcing of results, while two MATT+ devices can be linked for "telepathy." A color matching system uses the phone's gallery to predict chosen colors, a watchface can be set to any time remotely, and the results of dice rolls and card selections can be shown on the phone's gallery app.
For those looking at more advanced magic, the MATT+ is compatible with a range of accessories: a casing that makes it appear to be a standard lightbulb, market pen, or magic wand, and a balloon holder that uses the LED to change the perceived color of a connected balloon.
The MATT+ is funding on Kickstarter now, with "early bird" pricing set at €200 (around $206) for a pack with MATT+, thumb tip, cable, and the base mobile applications or €600 (around $620) for a premium bundle, which includes three MATT+ units, two thumb tips, the lightbulb casing, and a "masterclass" with its creators. All hardware is expected to ship in April this year.