Play soccer, help charity
A soccer ball with an embedded chip lets you rack up points when you play — which then you can use to help a charity.
(Credit: Uncharted Play)
A soccer ball with an embedded chip lets you rack up points when you play — which then you can use to help a charity.
It's called Ludo, and it's the second soccer-based project by Uncharted Play, the team behind Soccket — a soccer ball that generates enough electricity to power a small LED light, lessening the need for kerosene lamps in developing countries.
Ludo works from the opposite end of the socioeconomic spectrum: the chip, which is housed in a flexible-but-rugged Croc-like casing, tracks how long you play with the ball, giving you play points in exchange for minutes logged. These points are then wirelessly uploaded to your Play Fund, and you get to allocate the humanitarian projects to spend them on.
"But points aren't money. Where does the money come from?" Well, firstly, there's the purchase price (at this point, Uncharted Play is saying around US$59.95), but the rest will be coming from corporate sponsors who have signed partnership deals with Uncharted Play.
More details will emerge 7 November, which is when both the Ludo ball and the Play Fund beta are due to launch. You can sign up for details on the Uncharted Play website here.