Disney has teamed up with toy company JAKKS Pacific and Patrick Soon-Shiong—the wealthiest person in Los Angeles—to develop its first augmented-reality toys, which will allow children to virtually interact with its well-known characters.
Working via an app that can be downloaded to Apple or Android devices, 'DreamPlay' toys will be able to trigger pre-set animations on the device’s screen.
By training the device’s camera on the toy, users will be able to summon up amusing animated scenes—for instance, “fairies appear to glide in and out of buildings, animated critters start playing musical instruments, mythical characters prance on a toy piano's keyboard”.
Designed to extend the play life of the toys, it remains to be seen if children will take to this new virtual dimension.
Read more about Disney’s new toys here.
[via Reuters]