Archiv der Kategorie: Fun

Mixbots, A Robot Building Trading Card Party Game Now On Kickstarter

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Funamite LLC launches Mixbots, a robot building trading card game on Kickstarter. Robots are built by applying stickers onto trading cards, and combat is played with the hand game, Rock Paper Scissors. Combat is fast and furious for one on one duels and team battles with 10 or more players. Mixbots is enjoyed by tweens, teens, new gamers, and groups of friends.


Building robots is half the fun and putting them in action against other robots completes the whole experience. After building their robots, players will have a chance to personalize them by writing a name on the back. In team battles, players can help their own teammates by using their robots’ special abilities. “Students were on the edge of their seats. They were very engaged and enjoying the game”, said Christine Ha, a middle school teacher.

Funamite decided on using stickers instead of transparent cards to build the robots because that allowed the player’s creations to remain intact when being carried about, and to easily be seen. When multiple transparent cards are stacked on top of one another, details become blurry, so stickers were the easy choice. Funamite decided on Rock Paper Scissors as the combat mechanism because it’s already a familiar system with many and therefore lowers the learning curve and barrier to entry.

Funamite LLC is game publishing company founded in 2016 and based in Elk Grove, California. Mixbots is the company’s first product.

The Mystery of Robot Planet – 8Bit Game on Indiegogo

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I just received this message from Danni, creator of the 8Bit game „The Mystery of Robot Planet“:

The Mystery of Robot Planet is an 8bit inspired adventure-puzzle game for Windows, OS X and Linux scheduled for release in 2018. Visually inspired by early Pokemon games and mechanically based on other adventure-puzzle games such as Monkey Island and Beneath a Steel Sky, the game follows the player character, Ivan, on his quest to become a Marine and save the Princess!

 

With many vibrant locations, planets and separate endings depending on choices made throughout the game, The Mystery of Robot Planet aims to be a fun, unique and immersive experience for those who crave the puzzle-solving goodness of the early 90s point and click adventure games.

 

Download the Playable Teaser here – https://roadbloc.itch.io/the-mystery-of-robot-planet
Donate on IndieGoGo – https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-mystery-of-robot-planet-game-adventure/x/4781251#/

 

Chicago game publisher launches a crowdfunding campaign for their STEM-inspired, color-matching, robot-building game

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Chicago, IL – January 11, 2017.

Today, XYZ Game Labs launched a Kickstarter for RobotLab: The Card Game, a
STEM-inspired card game where players race to build robots.

RobotLab: The Card Game is a light, family-friendly card game where you
take on the role of a scientist racing to build your robot and claim the
coveted Devol Prize in Robotics!  Along the way you’ll need to do some
research, deal with some faulty parts, and do your best to avoid the other
scientists trying to stop you.

„We wanted a game where the goal was creation rather than destruction. It
needed to be accessible for all types of players AND it needed to be about
robots,” said RobotLab co-creator and XYZ Game Labs CEO Adam McCrimmon.
“We
designed RobotLab so people new to tabletop gaming would be able to easily
pick it up and learn, but we still wanted a game what was complex enough
to
hold the interest of experienced gamers. After months of testing, we think
we’ve struck the right balance for both newcomers and serious gamers.“

RobotLab: The Card Game is for 2 to 5 players, ages 6 and up. The 2-player
game plays in about 10 minutes, adding 5-8 minutes for each additional
player. It includes a deck of 80 cards (assorted robot parts and action
cards) and 5 robot body cards. RobotLab: The Card Game is launching on
Kickstarter on Wednesday, January 11th. Delivery is anticipated in
October,
2017, and it is expected to sell for $20 at retail (Kickstarter backers
receive the game for $15 + $5 shipping).  For more information, you can
visit robotlabcg.com.

As part of their Kickstarter campaign, XYZ Game Labs will be donating
copies of RobotLab: The Card Game to a number of non-profit organizations
including: Lurie Children’s Hospital, the Chicago Public Library and The
Night Ministry. Non-profit organizations interested in receiving games
should contact [email protected].

About XYZ Game Labs

XYZ Game Labs is a board game designer and publisher based in Chicago, IL.
The company was formed under the guiding principle that tabletop gaming is
one of the best ways of bringing people together and fostering meaningful,
long lasting friendships. RobotLab: The Card Game is the company’s first
foray into the board game market.

RobotLab: The Card Game is a trademark of XYZ Game Labs, Inc.

LINK to Kickstarter

UBTECH Introduces LionBot: Jimu Robot’s First Bobblehead Robot to Coincide with Chinese New Year Celebrations

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LAS VEGAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–UBTECH Robotics, the company that created the cutting-edge Alpha Series of humanoid robots, today introduced LionBot, the latest addition to its line of STEM-friendly Jimu Robots for kids and teens. The Jimu Robot LionBot was designed exclusively with Apple to emulate the lion costumes seen in the Chinese New Year parades, whose dance represents warding off bad luck, scaring away evil spirits, as well as ushering in good luck and thanks-giving. UBTECH will be showcasing LionBot as part of CES in Sands Expo, Hall A-D, booth #42151, January 5–8, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

LionBot has an infrared sensor that can track and move along lines, as well as detect objects to maneuver around. LionBot is also the first Jimu Robot to feature a bobbling character head, bringing a whole new level of personality to robot construction, and offering the ideal way to celebrate the Chinese New Year. LionBot is an interactive building block kit that combines learning and fun as kids build, program and share their robot creations. The Jimu Robot LionBot Kit retails for $129.95 and is exclusively available at Apple.com and in select Apple Stores.

“UBTECH is proud to introduce LionBot, an iconic symbol of good fortune in Chinese New Year celebrations,” said John Rhee, General Manager, North America, UBTECH. “Not only will boys and girls enjoy building, coding and programming LionBot, but the whole family will enjoy LionBot’s 21st century take on the traditional Chinese lion dance.”

The Jimu Robot LionBot Kit has all the parts, connectors and servo motors needed to build LionBot or your own invention. The kit includes the Jimu Robot app with step-by-step 3D instructions including zoom and 360 degree views to make building the robot easy. Once built, the app features pre-programmed actions with Blockly coding or the ability to program your own actions to make LionBot do almost anything. An in-app joystick remote also lets you control your LionBot on your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Additionally, the app connects users to the global Jimu community to share their creation or programming with Jimu Robot lovers around the world. The JIMU Robot app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch is available free, exclusively on the App Store.

The Jimu Robot TankBot Kit includes:

  • 4 Smooth Motion Robotic Servo Motors
  • 1 Infrared Sensor
  • 248 Snap-Together Interlocking Parts & Connectors
  • 1 Main Control Box
  • 1 Long Life, Quick Recharging Lithium-Ion Battery
  • 1 Recharging Power Adaptor
  • Free Jimu Robot App
  • Quick Start Guide

Jimu Robots were designed to enrich children’s lives and are appropriate for children over 8, and are especially strong for boys and girls 9-14. Jimu Robots were built from the ground up to specifically meet the needs of STEM (Science Technology, Engineering, Math) curriculum.

To learn more about Jimu Robot, visit jimurobots.com.

“Robots love Ice Cream the Card Game” to debut on Kickstarter

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Robots Love Ice Cream the Card Game, a semi-cooperative family friendly card game for ages 8+, launches on Kickstarter November 13th, from tabletop publishing studio 25th Century Games.

The card game is based on the hit video game Robots Love Ice Cream™ by mobile experience studio Dragon Army, also located in Atlanta, GA. The video game was released in 2014 and named one of the best games of the year on both iOS and Android. This tabletop version features all of the same characters and art style found in the video game plus new illustrations only available in the card game version.

“In the card game version, we capture all of the fun, fast-paced dynamics from the much beloved mobile game. The vibrant art, quirky characters, and semi-cooperative gameplay make it a must have addition to your family’s game collection,” said Chad Elkins, creator of Robots Love Ice Cream the Card Game. “It’s hard not to like both robots and ice cream, so layering that theme on an easy to learn set collection card game proved to be a big hit in play testing.”

One to four players travel in their ice cream trucks to five different planets across the galaxy. They must work together to collect matching sets of weaponized ice cream cards and use them to destroy waves of attacking robots. If all of the robots are defeated, Spinston’s plans are foiled, collectively saving that planet’s supply of ice cream treats.

The crowd-sourced Kickstarter campaign for Robots Love Ice Cream the Card Game will help raise funds for the manufacturing costs to produce the game. The campaign will begin on November 13th and conclude on December 14th.

To learn more about Robots Love Ice Cream the Card Game, visit the Kickstarter page.

About 25th Century Games

25th Century Games is an Atlanta startup dedicated to publishing entertaining tabletop games and puzzles that bring people together. The company recently published their first project, a 1000 piece puzzle featuring a historic map of Atlanta from 1892. Their focus is designing games and puzzles which are family friendly and are suited for a variety of age levels.

About Dragon Army

Dragon Army, based in Atlanta, GA, is a mobile experience agency built to deliver the best entertainment to mobile devices everywhere. Consisting of a blended group of marketers, game designers, developers and artists, the team applies their diverse skills to create rewarding mobile experiences for the world’s top brands. The company currently partners with The Coca-Cola Company, The Home Depot, Red Bull and InterContinental Hotels Group.

Two Bit Circus Launches Kickstarter Campaign for New Maker Kit That Combines ART and STEM to Inspire Creativity in Young Inventors

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LOS ANGELES–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Two Bit Circus, an engineering entertainment company, today released a new survey report highlighting the gender gap in STEM (science, technology, engineering, math)-based activities for children, revealing art as the key entry point to STEM, especially for girls.

Two Bit Circus recently surveyed an audience of more than 500 parents to understand gender differentiators in how children play and learn in relation to STEM/STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) activities. The report uncovers key insights on children’s educational interests and preferences for extracurricular activities and also shows a lack of awareness for STEM/STEAM in general. In fact, 47 percent of parents are unfamiliar with STEM/STEAM toys such as chemistry sets, microscopes, Arduinos, etc. And surprisingly both boys and girls share similar levels of interest in science and math in school, but girls are far more likely to prefer arts and crafts inside and outside of school than boys. This points to why there has been such a strong push for STEAM in order to help close the gender gap in STEM.

Additional key findings from the STEM vs. STEAM: The Gender Gap report include:

  • Parents of both male and female children equally report that their child’s favorite STEAM subject in school is either math (26%) or science (30%)
  • 41% of parents with boys say their child shows the most interest in technology/computing activities outside of school compared to only 18% of parents with girls
  • 45% of parents with girls report their child shows the most interest in art outside of school compared to only 10% of parents with boys
  • 62% of parents say that their child never participates in STEM extracurricular activities outside of school

To drive momentum for the STEAM movement and blend creativity, curiosity and critical thinking to inspire the next generation of inventors, Two Bit Circus is launching a Kickstarter campaign to support the creation of Oomiyu, a paper craft and technology kit. By allowing beginner inventors to build a fun, customized and interactive paper craft robotic owl, kids get hands-on experience with basic mechanical principles, electronics and programming that combined creates a unique STEAM experience. This maker kit is designed to bring art alive through creative innovation, combining art with STEM for a well-rounded and engaging creativity platform.

“Not only does Oomiyu foster a sense of excitement for STEAM by building creative confidence and curiosity in children, it also helps develop critical thinking skills and makes technology more appealing for creative and analytical thinkers alike,” said Two Bit Circus CEO and Co-founder, Brent Bushnell. “By creating this holistic STEAM-based kit, we hope to bring out the makers we know are hidden in every child.”

Oomiyu, a customizable platform, allows children to build, design, customize and program a paper creature to move, respond and emote to various stimuli. A companion mobile app and open source software extend the possibilities even further. Simple connectors make it easy to add new features and the included Arduino 101 packs powerful features like Bluetooth low-energy (enables easy connection to other devices and the internet) and machine learning (enables other pattern matching behaviors).

Also included in the maker kit are off-the-shelf components like LEDs, motors and paper patterns. The new Oomiyu maker kit offers a unique balance of design elements combined with more technical aspects of personalized programming for a craft that lives beautifully with technology.

This crowd-sourced funding campaign hopes to reach its goal of $72,921 USD* within the next 30 days, or about 500 units sold. The cost of Oomiyu is $150.

For more information about Oomiyu visit the Kickstarter campaign page.

About Two Bit Circus

Two Bit Circus is a location-based entertainment company creating the future of fun. The team of artists, inventors, educators and performers builds social games and experiences that aim to inspire, engage and reinvent the way people play. For more information, visit www.twobitcircus.com or follow @TwoBitCircus.

Revolutionizing Consumer Technology: a Robot that Doubles as a Self Moving Suitcase

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Technology is rapidly evolving and changing the way that we go about living our daily lives. We’re living in an era were phones are able to do thousands of different things and cars can drive by themselves. Yet for all of this innovation, traveling and carrying things with you has remained relatively the same over the last couple of decades. Luggage hasn’t benefited from the rapid technological advances of the 21st century.

That is until now. Travelmate is a new type of robot that doubles as an affordable self moving suitcase. It moves by itself and thinks for itself thanks to a variety of sensors and integrated artificial intelligence. It’s fully autonomous, meaning that it moves on its own through all types of terrain. Travelmate easily navigates through crowds, uneven environments and other obstacles.

This robot doesn’t need any extra accessories and uses your smartphone’s location to follow you around. It adjusts to your speed and can go up to 6.75 mph, so it’ll never be far behind. It also has LED indicators which will show you where it’s planning to go.

David Near, Travelmate’s CEO, says that, “one of our top priorities is to make sure that Travelmate is as secure as possible”. That’s why you can see exactly where it is at all times through the Travelmate app on your smartphone. If someone else wants to take your Travelmate, it will sense that it isn’t following you anymore and will lock its wheels, which will prevent it from being moved. You can also activate audible alarms through the Travelmate app. These security features mean that it’s virtually impossible to lose it.

Travelmate has plenty of features. It has managed to re-invent the wheel – literally. Travelmate uses unique omni wheels that allow for precise adjustments in movement. It has such an incredible range of movement that it can turn 360 degrees without moving from its place.

You can tell your Travelmate to follow you from the side, from the front or from the back through the Travelmate application.

Travelmate is an autonomous suitcase, but it’s also the first affordable all purpose robot. It has the potential for hundreds of features and real world applications. It can be a camera operator, security robot, or a robot companion. There’s no limit to the potential that Travelmate has.

That’s in large part due to the team behind this one of a kind suitcase. Travelmate Robotics was formed as a separate company to launch consumer robots at an affordable price point. They’ve been developing Travelmate for over a year before officially announcing it. Their team consists of developers who have been manufacturing autonomous commercial robots for 8 years. They include robotics specialists, designers and even people who’ve worked on prototypes for space exploration rovers.

So it’s no wonder why Travelmate is so innovative and unique. You can pre-order a Travelmate right now through indiegogo at a starting price point of 399$. However, this price might not last long, because distributors are already in contact with Travelmate Robotics.

Distributors in more than 30 countries are already in negotiations to carry their suitcase in their stores. What that means is that pre ordering now may be your only chance to get one at such a low price. David Near says that, “we’re very happy that investors and distributors have expressed interest in our company. We are always open towards new partnerships and proposals”.

In any case, traveling is about to get a whole lot easier. Technology is constantly moving us forward and Travelmate is at the forefront of that.

https://igg.me/at/travelmate/x/4781251

RoboCup German Open im kommenden Jahr wieder in Magdeburg

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RoboCup Saison 2017 beginnt – Anmeldungen ab sofort möglich

Die RoboCupper kommen wieder: Die RoboCup German Open werden im nächsten Jahr erneut in Magdeburg stattfinden. Vom 5. bis 7. Mai 2017 ist die Landeshauptstadt bereits zum siebten Mal Gastgeber für dieses internationale Robotikturnier. Die zentrale Online-Anmeldung ist ab sofort unter www.robocupgermanopen.de möglich.

„Wir wollen Magdeburg weiter als Wissenschaftsstadt positionieren und dabei helfen uns auch die RoboCup German Open, für die wir gern wieder Gastgeber sind“, sagt Oberbürgermeister Dr. Lutz Trümper und lädt alle Interessierten in die Ottostadt ein. „Magdeburg freut sich auch im siebten Jahr auf die zahlreichen Teams und Akteure, die unsere Messehallen im kommenden Frühjahr erneut für einige Tage in eine Arena für Roboter verwandeln.“

Zu den RoboCup German Open werden rund 1.000 Schülerinnen und Schüler sowie Studierende, Forscher und Wissenschaftler aus dem In- und Ausland erwartet. Die Wettbewerbe dienen den Wissenschaftlern und Studenten als publikumswirksames Testfeld zur Demonstration der Fähigkeiten heutiger Roboter. Es wird zwischen RoboCup Major, dem Wettbewerb der Wissenschaftler, und RoboCup Junior, dem Nachwuchswettbewerb, unterschieden. RoboCup Major ist das inspirierende Forschungs- und Vernetzungsumfeld für internationale Forscherteams, RoboCup Junior der attraktive Wettbewerb für technikbegeisterte Schüler.

Anmeldungen unter www.robocupgermanopen.de Anmeldungen für die RoboCup German Open sind seit heute möglich. Da die Anzahl der aktiven Schülerteams in den vergangenen Jahren stark angestiegen ist, müssen sich die bundesweit über 460 Teams im Nachwuchswettbewerb RoboCup Junior zunächst in regionalen Vorturnieren für eine Teilnahme in Magdeburg qualifizieren. Im Frühjahr 2017 finden sechs Qualifikationsturniere statt: in der Universität Hannover (6. bis 8. Februar 2017), in der Hochschule Mannheim (11. und 12. Februar 2017), im Kulturzentrum Vöhringen (18. und 19. Februar 2017), in der Hochschule Bonn-Rhein-Sieg (18. und 19. Februar 2017), in der kooperativen Gesamtschule Rastede (8. bis 10. März 2017) und in der Urania Berlin (11. und 12. März 2017).

Wer sich bei einem dieser Turniere qualifiziert, trifft beim Finale im Mai in Magdeburg auf die besten RoboCup Junior Teams aus ganz Deutschland. Dort werden die deutschen Meister in den drei Disziplinen OnStage, Rescue und Soccer ermittelt. Die Besten qualifizieren sich zudem für eine Teilnahme an der RoboCup- Weltmeisterschaft, die 2017 im japanischen Nagoya stattfindet.

Die Online-Anmeldung für die RoboCup-Junior-Qualifikationsturniere 2017 ist bis zum 30. November 2016 möglich. Die internationalen Teams aus dem RoboCup-Major-Bereich haben etwas mehr Zeit. Sie können sich bis zum 15. Dezember anmelden. Die Registrierung ist ausschließlich unter https://robocupgermanopen.de möglich. Dort stehen auch alle weiteren Informationen zu den sechs Qualifikationsturnieren und zu den RoboCup German Open 2017 in Magdeburg zur Verfügung.

Die Landeshauptstadt Magdeburg ist seit 2010 Gastgeber für die RoboCup German Open, eine der größten europäischen Robotikveranstaltungen. Die Magdeburger Robotik-Teams schneiden außerdem bei den internationalen Wettkämpfen sehr gut ab. So errangen in diesem Jahr bei der RoboCup-Weltmeisterschaft in Leipzig gleich zwei Teams des Werner- von-Siemens-Gymnasiums Weltmeister-Titel in der Junior-Kategorie Rescue Maze. Das Team robOTTO der Otto-von-Guericke Universität nahm erfolgreich in der Forscherliga RoboCup@Work teil und erreichte den vierten Rang.

Die Unternehmen HARTING KGaA, MathWorks, MICRO-EPSILON MESSTECHNIK GmbH & Co. KG, PHOENIX CONTACT GmbH & Co. KG, regiocom GmbH und der Arbeitgeberverband Gesamtmetall im Rahmen der Initiative think ING haben bereits ihre Unterstützung der RoboCup German Open in Magdeburg zugesagt.

RoboCup German Open 2017: Call for Participation

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RoboCup German Open 2017

Call for Participation

https://www.robocupgermanopen.de

5 – 7 May 2017
MESSE MAGDEBURG, Germany

The RoboCup German Open 2017 will be the 15th open RoboCup
competition held in Germany. The event will take place in Magdeburg
at MESSE MAGDEBURG.

— RoboCup Major Leagues (international teams) ———————-

Competitions are offered in the following leagues:

– RoboCupSoccer Standard Platform League
– RoboCupSoccer Humanoid League (Kid-Size)
– RoboCupRescue Robot League
– RoboCup@Home League
– RoboCupIndustrial Logistics League
– RoboCupIndustrial RoboCup@Work League

The registration deadline is *** 15 December 2016 ***.

Visit http://www.robocupgermanopen.de to register your RoboCup Major
League team. Details on the registration (fee, accommodation, rules)
are available on the web site. Booking of blocked accommodation with
special rates is possible after your registration.

The Major Leagues Organising Committee:
– Thomas Röfer (Standard Platform League)
– Reinhard Gerndt (Humanoid League)
– Johannes Pellenz (Rescue Robot League)
– Sven Wachsmuth (RoboCup@Home League)
– Ulrich Karras (Logistics League)
– Sebastian Zug (RoboCup@Work League)

— RoboCup Junior —————————————————-

The German RoboCup Junior qualification for RoboCup 2017 is performed
in two steps. German teams qualify in six local tournaments in Berlin,
Hannover, Mannheim, Rastede, Sankt Augustin and Vöhringen for the
17th German RoboCup Junior Championship which is held within the
RoboCup German Open 2017. The best Junior teams will qualify for
RoboCup 2017 in Japan.

— Important dates ————————————————–

15.12.2016 Registration deadline RoboCup Major teams
15.02.2017 Registration deadline team members with names
15.04.2017 Registration fee due
03.05.2017 Set-up day Major League teams
04.05.2017 Set-up day Major League teams
05.05.2017 Competition day (open to public)
06.05.2017 Competition day (open to public)
07.05.2017 Competition day, finals (open to public)

Please contact [email protected] for any questions.

See you all again at the 15th RoboCup German Open 2017!