New York City and Toronto-based design studio Kinky Kashayam has created a conceptual, hand-held radar that generates black cats in order to "protect one's luck".

Kinky Kashayam founders Shashwath Santosh and Nithin Eluvathingal designed the Portable Black Cat Radar (BCR) to explore belief systems through the use of "gadgets".

The navigation device generates fictional black cats in order for the user to dodge them at will.

"The Portable Black Cat Radar is part of an ongoing series where we interrogate Machines that Respond to Superstitions," said the team. "Our inspiration for the BCR dawns from cultural folklore that crossing the path of a black cat will bring calculated misfortune."

"We delved into Southern-Indian belief systems using design and technology as a medium for questioning and chose to speak the language of consumer electronics to ask those questions. (It) pushes you to wonder about a world where we might track real black cats for the sake of upholding our superstitious beliefs."

"We wondered – if only there were a machine that could show you all the black cats in your vicinity, so you could avoid crossing their paths and protect your luck."

The BCR features a red, winged body made from a custom-printed circuit board made out of copper that is sandwiched between acrylic plates.

Knobs, dials and switches are distributed along its length.

A central screen displays the user at its centre, framed by geo coordinates, a "risk level" bar, and a map scale. Fictional black cats appear as small targets that users can avoid or approach.

A matching red cord runs out of one side to attach to a battery pack when the power runs low.

"We designed, engineered, developed the software and manufactured the device," Santosh told Dezeen. "It currently uses a GPS, gyroscope and magnetometer to gauge your position in the world–just like our phones would do. Technology-wise, we like to explain it as somewhere in between Google Maps and Pokemon Go."

"We basically built all the software all from scratch using open source programs similar to how retro Game Boy or arcade games devices used to be made."

Santosh and Eluvathingal plan to produce the BCR gadget in low volume, where it will be available on their social channels.

"What would industrial design look like if it grew within and amongst the belief systems of the part of the world we are from?"

Kinky Kashayam is a design and art studio focused on "the worlds of history, sciences, technology, socio-economics, critical fiction and humour", influenced by the founders' heritage. It was founded in 2020 with works displayed in Delhi and beyond.

Other conceptual projects include designer Kuang-Yi Ku's synthetic organs meant to replace animal products found in traditional Chinese medicine.

Photography is courtesy Kinky Kashayam.