Move over, Barbie, and every imaginable accessory made for the franchise from medical kits to production vans - the latest toys come with their own interactive play ideas and Android app. Concerned by the pace at which today's youngsters are taking to smart devices, a couple of toy makers in town are experimenting with augmented reality to catch their attention.
So, what is augmented reality (AR)? In AR, a real-world product is supplemented by digital video or graphics. For instance, waving your phone in front of a street can give you addresses of nearby restaurants.
The makers of Bengaluru-based Shifu Toys have developed an augmented-reality mobile-based game in which children can learn about animals by hovering the phone on a flashcard. When the child switches on the connected app and hovers the screen over a flashcard, a 3D image of an animal pops up with the appropriate noises and movement. "Parents are not able to take kids away from their phones, so we thought let's make it educational for the children," says Vivek Goyal of Shifu Toys. They are planning to release the product in a few months.
