Sifteo Inc., a San Francisco-based company, confirmed that its interactive, cube-based gameplay system called Sifteo Cubes is ready to be released. The Sifteo Cubes is a set of 1.5-inch blocks that feature full color screens. They can be shaken, tilted or rotated to play games.
Each cube feature a 128-pixel LCD screen, Wi-Fi connectivity and a 32-bit ARM processor. The cubes also have accelerometers so that they can respond to stacking and tilting. The cubes can be arranged to play games, from building challenges and vocabulary puzzles. This device is best to be played with your friends as you crowd around the coffee table.
Sifteo founders David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanithi unveiled the product in 2009 when they were students at MIT. “Sifteo cubes are the first gaming solution to deliver truly hands-on play,” said Merrill. “The cubes combine the latest in embedded computing and sensing technology with a timeless play style.”
The blocks have been designed as an educational tool to aid pattern recognition and spatial reasoning. Both the founders have children, so the value of developing their skills through puzzles and games isn’t lost on them.
A software development kit (SDK) will be available at the product’s release, giving developers the chance to create applications for their Sifteo cubes. Hobbyist developers, interface designers and game developers can use the SDK to build new interactions that bridge digital content and physical objects. Their creations can be shared at the Sifteo store.
The Sifteo Cubes is currently available for pre-order and shipping is said to start next month.
via: Kotaku
