- Kids able to play with toys without opening the box -
From today children can play with toys before even opening the box as new technology will allow them to see fully formed 3D models from the box packaging, allowing them to examine every part of the toy before purchase.
The innovative technology pioneered by manufacturer Bandai, is set to transform the way consumers view toys as they can use a smartphone to view the 3D virtual models from the packaging anywhere in the world.
Selected toys including the brand new ThunderCats action figure of Lion-O, will showcase the technology as fans will be able to see a lifelike model of the toy projected from the box, simply from using a smartphone directed at the toy packaging.
Bandai has become the first toy company to work with Aurasma bringing their toy boxes to virtual life with the augmented reality app, meaning consumers can use the technology, whenever and wherever, not just in a toy shop. The new 3D engine will be showcased at London Toy Fair in Olympia today using Lion-O from ThunderCats and Ben 10 action figures. Users just point the camera of their mobile device at the boxes and using the app, a 3D augmented reality figure of the toy inside magically appears on top of the box.
Consumers will also be able to watch the corresponding toy TV commercials for Power Rangers, Ben 10, the highly anticipated ThunderCats range, and Harumika, a fashion design product for girls by pointing their smartphone at the toy packaging using the Aurasma app.
Marketing Director at Bandai, Darrell Jones comments, “The toy industry is always looking for new ways to excite customers so we are thrilled to be the first partner of this pioneering 3D technology creating 21st century window shopping. The fact that consumers can see their toys virtually and also watch them in action in the TV commercial anywhere in the world is a real first for the toy industry, and we look forward to extending the partnership across all our toys in 2012.”
“Parents will now have to remember not to throw away the packaging which, thanks to Aurasma, looks set to become an essential part of the toy’s experience and something kids keep returning to,” said Martina King, Managing Director of Aurasma. Martina continued, “Using new technology comes as second nature to kids today and whether using their parents’ or their own mobile phone, this imaginative partnership between Aurasma and Bandai will delight the whole family. And best of all, because Aurasma is free to download, it means that now pocket money can be stretched just that little bit further.”
Aurasma’s cutting-edge image recognition technology allows smart devices to see, recognise and understand real-life images and objects in much the same way as the human brain does. Aurasma then uses this fundamental understanding of the real world to seamlessly augment the scene with virtual content such as videos, animations and 3D objects called “auras”. No barcodes, visual tags or special glasses are required for Aurasma to work.
Aurasma is the world’s first visual browser – a new platform technology that merges the physical world with the virtual. Available as a free app for iPhone4, iPad2 and high-powered Android devices or as a free kernel for developers, Aurasma uses advanced image and pattern recognition to recognise and understand real-world images and objects in much in way the human brain does. It then seamlessly blends the real-world with rich interactive content such as videos and animations called “Auras”. Auras can be created for printed images, product packaging, clothing, physical places and users can even use the app to create and share their own.
Since its launch in June 2011, Aurasma has had more than two million downloads. Over 800 partners in markets including retail, sport, automotive, consumer electronics, entertainment, advertising and publishing are using the free technology in their campaigns or embedding the technology in their own applications. Aurasma was developed by and is part of software company Autonomy – an HP company.
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packaging, allowing them to examine every part of the toy before purchase. 
can use the technology, whenever and wherever, 
Managing Director of Aurasma. Martina continued, “Using new technology comes as second nature to kids today and whether using their parents’ or their own mobile phone, this imaginative partnership between Aurasma and Bandai will delight the whole family. And best of all, because Aurasma is free to download, it means that now pocket money can be stretched just that little bit further.” 
