Posted Mon Jun 3, 2013 at 09:30 AM PDT by Brian Hoss
Forget Mindstorms as a DualShock controller controls these simple creations.
In the midst of Sony Computer Labs' open house is a possible convergence spurned by a partnership between LEGO and Sony. Purportedly, LEGO understands that retaining the imagination of children and continuing the success of LEGO means understanding how much video games have become a favorite activity for many from near birth.
To that end, complex electronics that normally enable older children and adults through the robotic possibilities of LEGO Mindstorms are now being prototyped on a simple scale meant for much younger children. These creations, which are currently at the prototype stage involve the concept of adding electronic modules that are easy to affect. Examples include adding a motor that can be controlled through a Sony DualShock controller, enabling LEGO built cars to become active and control like a video game version of a LEGO RC car. LED infused bricks are meant to give children the ability to add active lighting elements such as red LED bricks to simulate fire, which would be controllable through the Sony interface. Wireless cameras and actuators are also part of the drawing board, and are meant to give a simple electronic layer or capability to the LEGO creations that have been made in homes for so many years.
As these items have yet to materialize into mass-produced products, they may never get further than the prototype stage. What seems clear though is the idea of bringing the interactivity and familiarity of video games to actual LEGOs is promising and would seem to signal a new generation of LEGOs on the horizon.
Source: Ars Technica
Author: Brian Hoss
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