www.3ders.org

Jun 5, 2017 | By Tess

While fidget spinners may still reign as the top trending toy, the stress-relieving gizmos may soon have a new rival. Called SwapBots, this soon-to-be-released toy uses augmented reality to bring its physical components to life.

Developed by a Liverpool-based startup, SwapBots could very well be the next big toy fad. By combining simple 3D printed blocks with an augmented reality mobile app, SwapBots allows users to not only physically play with the toys, but to engage with them virtually as well—battling other SwapBots and more.

More than just bringing the toys to life with AR, SwapBots also lets users customize and create new characters by swapping and interchanging different physical blocks. Basically, users are given a set of 3D printed blocks, trios of which make up an individual character: head, torso, and legs.

The blocks can be used to make classic characters (including Octo, Griff, Kabuto, and six more) or customized creations. (Think octopus legs with eagle wings and a samurai skull head.) When the blocks are assembled, the SwapBots mobile app (available for iOS and Android) scans the physical blocks and brings the character to life on the user’s screen.

Unfortunately, eager gamers will have to wait a little while before getting their hands on the augmented reality toy, as SwapBots is still being finalized. SwapBots developers are currently working on giving the AR characters the ability to battle each other—a functionality which would not only make the toy interactive but also social.

The innovative toy brand, which in April successfully raised over £25,000 through a Kickstarter campaign, is also accessible. That is, unlike many VR/AR games that require expensive consoles, SwapBots is designed to work with just about any mobile device or tablet. As SwapBots CMO Phil Charnock told TNW, the toy was developed to even work on older devices, as most kids do not have the most up-to-date tech. The toy’s reasonable price of £16 (about $20) is also aimed at making it accessible to most kids and teens.

In light of the success of Pokémon​ Go, we have no doubt that SwapBots will make a big splash on the AR/VR toy market. In fact, according to the toy’s developers, SwapBots has already attracted the attention of big retailers in both the U.K. and the U.S., and was featured at both SXSW in Austin, Texas and GDC in San Francisco, California.

You can currently pre-order your own SwapBots via Indiegogo.

(Images: SwapBots)

 

 

Posted in Fun with 3D Printing

 

 

Maybe you also like:

• T-Bone Cape motion control board launches on Indiegogo
• New extruder could lower costs of 3D printing cellular structures for drug testing
• New Ninja Printer Plate for consumer 3D printing
• mUVe3D releases improved Marlin firmware for all 3D printers
• Zecotek plans HD 3D display for 3D printers
• Add a smart LCD controller to your Robo3D printer
• Maker Kase: a handy cabinet for 3D printers
• Heated bed for ABS printing with the Printrbot Simple XL
• Next gen all metal 3D printer extruder from Micron
• Pico all-metal hotend 100% funded in 48 hours, B3 announces Stretch Goal
• Create it REAL announces first 3D printing Real Time Processor
• A larger and more powerful 3D printer extruder on Kickstarter

   

Leave a comment:

Your Name: