web app turns superstition into remote-controlled device

Knock On Wood is an internet-connected device that performs the familiar gesture of knocking on wood, allowing users to follow the superstition remotely when no wood is nearby. Through a web app, users press a digital button to trigger a physical device that knocks on wood in real time.

The project is part of an ongoing series, Machines Responding to Superstitions, by designers Shashwath Santosh and Nithin Eluvathingal. Drawing on industrial design, engineering, manufacturing, critical thought, and world-building, the series uses machines to examine everyday beliefs and rituals.

Knocker strapped to a tree, about to knock on wood | all images ©Shashwath Santosh and Nithin Eluvathingalnetwork of machines makes remote knocking on wood possible

Each knocker connects to the internet and communicates with a central server, allowing multiple devices to respond to users around the world. Someone in a Tokyo café, for example, can trigger a knocker in New York’s Central Park using only a web browser, while the device requires a Wi-Fi connection. For the woodland setup shown in the project visuals, the designers Shashwath Santosh and Nithin Eluvathingal used a portable Wi-Fi hotspot to connect the machines.

Knock On Wood is part of the ongoing series Machines Responding to Superstitionsthe system allows users to trigger a physical knock from anywhere in the world