Sony and Lego Team Up To Put Videogame Tech Into Lego Bricks

[Steven Bogos]

Sony and Lego Team Up To Put Videogame Tech Into Lego Bricks

The video shows Lego creations being controlled with a Dualshock controller, and moving on their own due to pre-programmed AI.

In an unlikely partnership, tech giant Sony and toy manufacturer Lego are joining forces to bring us Lego that is powered by videogame technology. "Lego is afraid of losing young customers to videogames and online entertainment," says the video presentation of Sony's computer science lab in Tokyo, "so the company is trying to make playing with Lego blocks more like playing videogames." The video shows Lego creations that have been implanted with a tiny motor being controlled by a Dualshock controller, as well as using cameras to move around by themselves with an in-built AI.

"The goal is to keep the pieces small and simple, so that children can use them with other toys." Sony says that the pieces track movement visually at the moment, but want to work on eliminating the use of cameras all together. Another cool little piece of tech is Sony's new "Lego actuators," which can cause pieces to collapse or explode. My eight-year-old mind is reeling at the possibility playing an augmented reality Lego Star Wars videogame, where my real-world tank and spaceship models explode upon being hit in the game.

The Sony lab also had some other non-Lego related projects on display, including a drone helicopter that is controlled by a user wearing a virtual reality headset. Basically, the person wearing the headset sees what the drone sees, and walking and moving around causes the drone to mimic the movement.

Another project is an augmented reality program that can animate and distort real objects in real time. A demo shows a real-life building turning to rubber, and a pop-up animated advertisement.

Lastly, there is a fridge that refuses to open unless you smile at it. I don't think I need to say anymore about that.

Source: Rocket News 24 [http://irorio.jp/kayokimura/20130530/61182/]

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[Shamanic Rhythm]

Lego wouldn't have to worry about the competition if their prices weren't so darned high.

And yes, I am a 25 year old who still checks out the Lego section at the department store.

 

[VanQ]

And yes, I am a 25 year old who still checks out the Lego section at the department store.

There's no shame in that! There's still a lot of cool Lego sets meant for adults. Lego is an all-ages toy.


I'd like to see my ten year old self build that!

Spoiler

I honestly would, he'd probably do a better job than my current self. He's not out of practice.

 

[CriticalMiss]

I'm kind of suprised that Lego haven't come up with remote controls for toys or blocks for making them explode. They already have those Mindstorm kits that are basically a crash course in robotics, so maybe it's already possible and Sony just added their controller and a camera. In which case, meh?

And I think the fridge thing would be good if it denied access to fat people. Although I'm sure they'd find a way in anyway.

 

[Smooth Operator]

Now if they could only invent a box of basic Lego so you could make some imaginative shit again and put these pieces to actual use.

 

[Evil Smurf]

Now if they could only invent a box of basic Lego so you could make some imaginative shit again and put these pieces to actual use.

Or perhaps an electronic lego kit that is at most $20 at most.

Speaking of which, I'm going to ply minecraft now.

 

[RA92]

And yes, I am a 25 year old who still checks out the Lego section at the department store.

The only shame lies in not being able to do something awesome out of Lego.

Like a Lego V-8 block, or a Lego 3D sculptor, or lots and lots of Lego firearms. [http://www.cracked.com/article_20392_the-7-most-ridiculously-advanced-machines-built-out-legos.html]

 

[HontooNoNeko]

Interesting, though not as cool as what I had in mind. I was thinking more along the lines of legos with metal contacts that you plugged into something and it could detect the shape by running an electric current through. Would be cool to build something out of legos and upload to the game and be able to use it in puzzles or just drive around.

 

[Idlemessiah]

Oh wow. I really like the idea of the "Lego actuator". I'm reminded of the Helm's Deep set which has a little lever behind the wall which, when pressed, launches the bricks into the air like in the movie when the bomb Uruk hai blows the wall up. Being able to do that remotely with the press of a button is just the first of many things I could think of. This is awesome!

 

[Lazy Kitty]

A fridge that only opens when you smile?

What is this? Anti-grumpycat security?

 

[Dr.Awkward]

Interesting, though not as cool as what I had in mind. I was thinking more along the lines of legos with metal contacts that you plugged into something and it could detect the shape by running an electric current through. Would be cool to build something out of legos and upload to the game and be able to use it in puzzles or just drive around.

That's actually how the old-style powered Technic models worked! You had to buy a special motor set to power these sets, but it came with bricks that were metal-plated in the bottom with studs that partially exposed the plating to make contact between bricks. It also came with blinking LED lights and a bulky controller that powered the whole thing!

 

[Steven Bogos]

Lego wouldn't have to worry about the competition if their prices weren't so darned high.

And yes, I am a 25 year old who still checks out the Lego section at the department store.

The reason Lego is so expensive is that it is legitimately built to last a lifetime. The quality and craftsmanship of the bricks is so incredibly high that the pieces just DON'T break. And if they do, you can send them into LEGO and they will replace them for free

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

And I think the fridge thing would be good if it denied access to fat people. Although I'm sure they'd find a way in anyway.

That wouldn't be hard; just make the floor around it a giant set of scales attached to the lock. Alternatively, just keep it in a room with a very thin doorway.

This looks like possibly the best thing ever. Lego Robot Wars anyone?

 

[martyrdrebel27]

Lastly, there is a fridge that refuses to open unless you smile at it. I don't think I need to say anymore about that.

Here I am, brain the size of a planet, and they ask me to be a fridge. Call that job satisfaction? 'cause I don't.

 

[Daemascus]

The drone thing reminds me of how they justified the third person view in the non Animus sections of AC3.

 

[Thaluikhain]

Extra fancy lego technic? Fair enou-

Oh, hang on, you are going to give kids a tiny remote controlled toy with a camera in it? Yeah, this is going to lead to so much trouble.

...

Also, no to a fridge, or anything else that only works if you smile. Just no. You'll be pissed off, or just first thing in the morning, and you just want to get the milk, not deal with that crap.

 

[Tohron]

If they're worried about losing people to videogames, perhaps they could go and make Lego Creator 2? Lego Creator was one of my favorite games of all time, and they definitely have the technology for a sequel.

 

[kailus13]

Also, no to a fridge, or anything else that only works if you smile. Just no. You'll be pissed off, or just first thing in the morning, and you just want to get the milk, not deal with that crap.

Agredd. I'm not much of a smily person at the best of times, not being able to get a coke wouldn't make me want to smile.

Couldn't tiny lego camera drones be used to spy on people?

 

[Thaluikhain]

Couldn't tiny lego camera drones be used to spy on people?

Yup. Now, such things are around already, but not usually marketed to kids. Phone cameras need that annoying camera sound to tell people they are being photo-ed, for example.