The device, drawn.

Illustrations of the Zebra puck, its insides, its display, and the table it lives on. Flat renders for the concept site; photoreal renders are a next step.

+4TAPIR

Zebra, three-quarter view.

White top, round display, a yellow light ring that shows when it’s listening, and the striped band that gives it the name and hides the speaker.

At the table.

TAn animalA reasonto be lateNobody needs this+5TARSIERTarsier.Tiger.Tapir.Toaster?

Four players, one letter, one call. The score pad is still in the picture for old times’ sake.

Eight layers, one job each.

From the glass down: what shows the call, what hears the table, what makes the ruling, what speaks it, and what reads the tokens.

+4Top glass and round displayThe call, the points, the reasonLight ringLit only while it’s listeningMicrophone boardFour mics, beamforming, seat detectionCompute boardNeural processor running the judge modelSpeakerReads calls aloud, keeps timeBatterySized for a long game nightStriped enclosureThe band is the speaker grilleBase with NFC coilReads seat tokens and game cards

What the display shows.

LISTENINGSEAT 3
ListeningRing lit, seat detected
RULING
RulingUnder a second and a half
+4TAPIRCOUNTS
CountsPoints and the answer
10DEFEND ITTIGON
Defend itTen-second countdown
CHALLENGE1 FLAG LEFT
ChallengeFlags left for this player
FINALSAM9MAYA6PRIYA6JONAH5
FinalThe round’s standings

Seat tokens.

Eight in the box. Tap one to join a seat; tap it again for private actions and personal rulings.

12345678