You’ve been hearing about augmented reality for some time, so long now that it might seem like a pipe dream. However, technology has finally reached a point where AR is now a reality and the first real life AR gaming robot is now available online for purchase, just in time for the holiday gifting season. The MekaMon is a real life AR-action toy that brings gaming outside of the video console.
What is the MekaMon?
It’s a robotic and modular toy with four mechanical legs that can track other MekaMons using 4 IR transceivers. It can connect to Android and iOS devices where you can teach the MekaMon custom behaviors and digitally arm it with shields and weapons for battle against your friends and their MekaMons.
“We’ve created an entirely new video gaming platform,” said Silas Adekunle, CEO of Reach Robotics. “MekaMon straddles both the real and virtual worlds while taking the gaming experience beyond a player’s screen and turning their sitting room into a limitless robotic battle zone. MekaMon represents a quantum leap forward in the leveraging of augmented reality. Players can whip out their smartphone to battle their multi-functional, connected battlebots in the physical and virtual worlds at the same time.”
Since the MekaMon is modular, players can upgrade their devices with add-on modules for advantages over their competitors. You can also replace parts that break in modules rather than replacing the entire unit making it a great feature for long-term usage.
MekaMon Specs and Features:
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Smartphone Compatibility: MekaMon can be enjoyed on updated iOS and Android devices and uses the phone’s camera and infrared sensors for precision game-play.
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Portability: Each robot weighs approximately 2.2lb, is 11.8in x 11.8in x 5.9in in dimension and has a removable, rechargeable battery for at least one hour of non-stop play-time.
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Bluetooth and Infrared Battlezones: Powered by the smartphone app, MekaMon robots connect to each other via infrared signals and players’ phones connect to each other over Bluetooth, allowing friends to battle against each other as well as offering arcade-style and co-operative game-play.
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Choose your World: Gamers choose whether to play in the real world or augmented reality – once battles starts, the robot is free to move and use any object in the room (e.g. tables, chairs, other toys, etc.) to block and/or hide from attackers!
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Customizability: A MekaMon robot can be customized to suit a user’s individual playing style, adding weapons or shields to create more aggressive, defensive and technical capabilities.
If you’re looking to spoil a loved one this holiday season, this would make a fantastic gift option for those who love robots, games and multiplayer battles. It’s now available for purchase at select Apple retail locations, MekaMon.com and Apple.com.