SHAKE SYNC

"SHAKE SYNC" is a block-type interactive toy developed jointly by Hakuhodo, Osaka University, and Zero by Zero. Shaking it lights it up, changes its color, and brings it close to another block to transfer the light.

How to Play

1. Shake to light it up. If it doesn't glow, give it several good shakes (about seven).
2. Shake again to change the color. Three shakes cycle it to the next color.
3. Bring it close to pass the color on. The trick is to approach the unlit "tail" side of the neighbouring block.

Using nothing but identical blocks, you can build all kinds of pictures in light — fish, stars, rainbows, flowers, snakes, trees, and more.

Exhibitions:

• SXSW 2018 Trade Show, Hakuhodo Booth (March 2018, Austin, Texas)
• Maker Faire Tokyo 2018 (August 2018)
• RSK Sanyo Broadcasting Lobby (November 2022, Okayama — first exhibition in Okayama)
• KITTE Nagoya "SYNC LINK CHRISTMAS" (November–December 2024)
• Yuri Kanshou Love Week 2026 (June 6–7, 2026, Yuri Garden, Samezu Irie Hiroba Park, Shinagawa)
• Shinagawa Artist Exhibition 2026 (September 12–13, 2026, Kyurian, Shinagawa)

At KITTE Nagoya, visitors used SHAKE SYNC to change the colors of a giant Christmas tree illumination, creating an interactive experience.

Read the full development story here: When Light Moves in Your Hands — The Story of a New Kind of Light Toy, SHAKE SYNC