Toys of the future will be designed for augmented reality

As reported by Wired, toy companies have revealed new products utilizing augmented reality during the New York Toy Fair last week. 

With the rise of AR apps and games, companies like Hasbro and Mattel are following suit by utilizing the same technology in their toys.

Whether AR is integrated with stuffed animals or board games, all it takes is a smartphone to access the tech. 

As co-founder of Merge (a company specializing in VR/AR content for kids) Andrew Trickett explains to Wired, AR demands less hardware than a traditional VR headset. 

For example, Merge developed its 6DoF Blaster which uses a smartphone to create digital targets kids can run around and shoot at, akin to playing laser tag. 

The appeal in AR toys lie in having kids be active and mobile, as opposed to glued to a television.

This has prompted companies to start designing AR gadgets that merge the physical with the virtual, from AR integrated picture books to puzzles.

“There's a certain satisfaction with touching something and physically manipulating it. I don't think that's going to go away,” notes Trickett. "But those physical objects are going to become a lot more interesting.”