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Interactive Stations
Konsensomat

Konsensomat — The Democracy Machine

Two people. One question. Two minutes to agree — or the game is over. Konsensomat turns democracy into an experience.

YouTube-Video
Two players voting at the Konsensomat
Konsensomat stations with category selection
Round of play with a question on screen
Steampunk animation while reaching consensus
Close-up of the buzzer stations with LED lighting
Konsensomat democracy machine start screen
Konsensomat installation with a projector

What is the Konsensomat?

Voting is easy. Agreeing is harder. In Konsensomat, two people face off at physical voting stations. A question appears on a big screen — both press yes or no. Do they agree? Point! Not in agreement? Then the clock starts ticking: two minutes to reach consensus through discussion, argument, and negotiation — or the game is over.

Democracy means more than voting — it thrives on debate, the courage to hold your own opinion, and the strength to find a compromise. Konsensomat makes exactly that tangible: playful, loud, and for everyone aged 10 and up.

How it works

A question shows up on the big screen — e.g. “Should you always be punctual, even if others are usually late?”
Each person presses the green (yes) or red (no) buzzer at their own station.
Same answer? You get a point and the next question comes up.
Different answers? The clock starts ticking — you have 2 minutes to reach agreement. If you don’t make it: game over!

Question categories

Konsensomat includes questions from various areas — depending on the target group and event:

  • Everyday life & society — everyday questions that spark reflection
  • Democracy & living together — core values of coexistence
  • Society & politics (ages 14–18) — political and social topics for teenagers
  • School & youth (ages 10–14) — age-appropriate questions about school and living together
  • Topic-specific: digitalisation & AI — questions about digital topics

What makes Konsensomat special

  • No prior knowledge needed — just a willingness to listen
  • No prior knowledge — just a willingness to really listen
  • No loser — instead, the result of a genuine dialogue
  • A physical installation — touch, press, experience instead of just clicking
  • For everyone aged 10 and up — at school, at festivals, at youth centres

Suitable for

  • School events & project days
  • Festivals & trade fairs
  • Civic education
  • Corporate & club events
  • Workshops & action days

The tech behind it

The installation consists of two buzzer stations (wooden boxes with large arcade buttons, LED lighting, and holographic foil), a Raspberry Pi as a server, and a projector/screen. The software is completely open source:

  • Backend: Python (Flask + Socket.IO) on Raspberry Pi
  • Frontend: real-time WebSocket connection to the game server
  • Controls: large arcade buttons (yes/no), replaceable with GPIO or USB encoders
  • Kiosk mode: starts automatically on power-up, including fallback hotspot

The complete source code, the Raspberry Pi installation, and all questions are open source on GitHub.

Rent Konsensomat

Konsensomat can be rented for events — including setup, on-site support, and question set. Contact: gregor@kidslab.de

Download poster (PDF)

Inquire & book

Inspired by Adam J. Scarborough’s “The Democracy Machine!” — an interactive installation by KidsLab gGmbH, Augsburg.