Although Toy Geek didn’t get to attend Toy Fair 2011 in New York this year (*sob*) I have been keeping a close eye on the coverage. And overall… well, it’s about what you would expect. The tech toys are making all of the geeks drool; movie tie-ins are dominating the scene (”Cars 2″, “The Smurfs” and the third “Transformers” all come out this year; and everyone wants to take pictures of the Lego statues.
A few bits of buzz I’ve been hearing: Hasbro’s new electronic version of Monopoly falls a little flat, having done away with the play money and adding a “Big Brother-ish infrared tower that acts very much like an airport control tower, telling all the players what to do when.” That doesn’t exactly scream fun to me.
And the superheros are out in full force. Promotions for “Green Lantern,” “Captain America: The First Avenger” and “Thor” included piles of merchandise, including action figures, boards games and movie collectibles. The stars themselves even came out to check out the goods.
And, like everything else in the world, Toy Fair 2011 has indeed fallen ill with “Bieber fever.” The Biebs’ merchandise includes the Justin Bieber Real Hairstyle doll and the Justin Bieber Rockin’ Tour Bus and stage Concert playset.
What will they think of next?
Control a 3D–Mapping Robot With Gestures? Just Add Kinect
Philipp Robbel, a student at MIT’s Personal Robotics Group, has used a hacked Xbox Kinect camera and an iRobot Create kit to make a Roomba-esque KinectBot that can recognize human beings and respond to their gestural commands.
In an interview with SingularityHub, Robbel discussed how KinectBot grew out of his research in robots that could locate trapped or missing people in a disaster. The Kinect’s ability to map terrain in 3-D and to recognize and respond to human gestures could eventually be teamed up with aerial drones and rapid-response teams to launch rescue operations.
This video shows how KinectBot was assembled and what it can do.
Bear in mind, this is just what Robbel calls a “weekend hacking project.” Imagine what Microsoft’s Robotics team — who’ve had a lot longer to play with the tech behind Kinect than the rest of us — might be cooking up in their labs.
Still a $150 off-the-shelf sensor like Kinect opens up the option box for everybody. Add the right mix of boops and beeps, a computer-hacking interface, jet packs and the ability to serve drinks and fix starships, and we’re just a few iterations away from a full-fledged R2-D2 unit. We’re living in the future.
Many moms notice that babies are often enthralled more by the tag on a toy or blanket than the item itself. One smart mom observed this phenomenon in her own baby and created a special blanket full of soft tags. Soon this blanket was the envy of play group, followed by craft shows and now retail stores. Now the entire line of Taggies handmade, machine washable toys and blankets are a must-have item for babies to play with, grasp and explore.
Taggies are a very simple but effective baby item; playing with the many tags provides babies warmth and comfort when trying to fall asleep or in a stressful situation (like the doctor’s office). Many moms swear by the soothing power of Taggies, especially the blankets, but I don’t really consider a blanket to be a toy, so here are a few of their popular play items I recommend.
This is Grabby Elephant. He doesn’t just have tags all over his body, but his torso and ears are also tag-like and a delight for babies to explore. There’s a little Retractable Wiggle Mouse with chime inside, to create a whole new set of textures, sounds and motions. If you like the style of the toy but aren’t an elephant fan, there’s also Shaggie the Taggie, a fun puppy toy.
[Grabby Elephant $14.99 at Arsa Toys]
A soft and fun twist on a classic baby toy, the Animal Friends Stacking Rings provide plenty of fun tags and hand-eye-coordination and spatial relationship skills.There are more tags than I can count on this toy! It also seems that the individual rings would make a great stand-alone toy for a long car ride or a nap. It also plays music and makes a variety of sounds. What more could you need in a baby toy?
[Animal Friends Stacking Rings; $26.99 at Arsa Toys]
The Uncle Milton company has been bringing interactive fun to learning for decades. They created the original Ant Farm and have sold over 20 million since 1956. In fact, they have trademarked the phrase Ant Farm! They do a whole lot more than Ant Farms. I’ve already mentioned the highly-educational and fun In My Room Series of toys in a previous post.
Shadow puppets are always a fun activity, but with Shadow Magic you can create shadow art. When you pose in front of the green screen and flash the magic light, the shadow remains for several minutes and then fades away. You can also use the cool light pen to draw on your images. If you want to keep your art, just take a quick picture with a digital camera. Another paper-free, mess-free way to make fantastic art and also, a great activity for the whole family.
[Shadow Magic by Uncle Milton; $19.99 at Arsa Toys]
Do you know a little dinosaur enthusiast? Uncle Milton also makes the Dino X-Cavator, a fun game similar to the classic board game Operation, only with dinosaur bones and noises. It even includes cards with bone names and dinosaur trivia facts, making it even more educational.
[Dino Xcavator by Uncle Milton; $18.99 at Arsa Toys]
RC vehicles have been a childhood favorite for many years. And while cars, planes and helicopters are fun to control, they aren’t quite as cool as this RC Tarantula. OK, it might not be that educational, but it sure is nifty. From reviews I’ve read, it works well on flat surfaces, but not well on slopes or carpet. It is a fragile toy, so it’s better for older children.
[RC Tarantula by Uncle Milton; $18.55 at Arsa Toys]
Rokenbok is a legacy-quality toy that combines classic construction toy play with modern technology to create an endlessly expanding modular world. Basically, the modular construction system and radio controlled vehicles are combined to create a metropolis with monorail, construction and rescue elements. I hear a lot of parents praise Rokenbok’s products simply because there are so many elements to choose from, and its easy to add to your collection without worrying about compatibility. Children are definitely entertained by a single set, but also take great pride in their mega-metropolis. I also read that the some Rokenbok components are compatible with LEGO products for even more fun.
Everything that I have heard and read about Rokenbok toys has been very positive, and it’s a toy that kids will keep around for many years and can play with in groups, with their parents or on their own. Though Rokenbok has an extensive product line with just about every type of vehicle you can imagine, I thought I would show off some of their larger basic sets.
While the Rokenbok toys are recommended for children ages 6 and older, the Junior series contains larger pieces and more basic kits that are specifically designed for children 4-5 years old. This series is fully compatible with the regular Rokenbok series, so children can continue to grow with their toys. The Rokenbok Jr. Beginning Building Set includes a remote controlled dump truck, roadway with chutes, two figures and much more.
[$95.69 at Arsa Toys]
The Power Chutes Starter set is a great launching point for first timers. It includes a front loader RC vehicle, radio control center, control pad and plenty of track. It has more than enough activities and building possibilities without being overwhelming. Of course, it can also be incorporated into all other Rokenbok sets for future expansion.
[$69.59 at Arsa Toys]
To really get your Rokenbok metropolis up and running, the Inventor’s Toolbox contains 618 pieces and endless possibilities. This is a more free-form, advanced set, but it does include a building guide with several options. The angled pieces provide a lot of height to the set and create a fun challenge for young builders.
[$113.54 at Arsa Toys]
