Communications of the ACM
Sony and Lego Collaborating on Toy Research
A joint research project between Sony and Lego aims to come up with future projects that are part toy, part video game.
Credit: Computerworld
Sony recently unveiled several research projects for an open house at Sony Computer Science Laboratories, including a collaboration with Lego on a new generation of products that could bridge the gap between toys and video games.
Sony researchers are embedding tiny motors, cameras, and actuators in Lego blocks. The team demonstrated two small motorized Lego platforms, one of which is computer-controlled and will pursue the other, and can be maneuvered using a wireless PlayStation controller or by hand. The system can be used to create Lego battles or to play tag. Actuators can cause Lego structures to crumble on demand, and camera blocks can beam first-hand video of the action to tablets and smartphones.
Sony also demonstrated an application that can stretch and twist video of objects in real time.
Other projects include a small quadcopter controlled by the physical movements of an operator who wears a Sony head-mounted video display.
From IDG News Service
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