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Anki's next-generation robotic race cars get modular tracks
Two years ago, Anki introduced itself to the world at the Apple WWDC keynote with robotic race cars that could maneuver around the track all on their own. The company has grown substantially since then thanks to strong initial interest and growing sales -- Anki tells us that it was the second-best-selling toy on Amazon this past Christmas -- but now, it's ready for the next step. Today, the company is introducing a completely new version of its toy cars, and it's called Anki Overdrive. Not only does the second generation of Anki involve new cars, a new app and new gameplay mechanics, but it will also now ditch the rollable mats and incorporate a brand-new modular track system that lets players build their own custom race circuits.
Can Skylanders' creative lead make robotic toy cars successful?
Anki doesn't just want to be the company known for those cool robotic race cars. It wants to be more than that. It wants its cars to have a real emotional connection with its users. It wants its cars to be more than just cars. And how does it plan to do that? By making it more of a video game.
Anki Drive's robotic race cars will play nice with Android starting in October
Ever since Anki Drive -- a toy car racing system powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning -- made a big splash at Apple's WWDC 2013 keynote, it's been iOS-only. That ends next month, however, as Anki Drive is finally coming to Android for the first time. Sean Levatino, Anki's lead designer, tells us that one of the company's big core commitments is accessibility, and Android compatibility is a big part of that. "We want to support as many platforms as possible," he says. Anki's goal, after all, is to bring robotics to the masses.
Anki Drive levels up with new robotic cars, tracks and a race mode
Arguably the coolest part about Anki Drive's robotic toy cars is that you could upgrade them over time with weapons and points as if they were character vehicles in a video game. Unlike a video game however, Anki's original system only had a single race track and just four available model cars (two were bundled in the starter kit). Further, there was only one mode of gameplay -- a Battle mode that encourages you to knock your opponent off the road -- which some might find a little tiresome after a while. Now, however, Anki has introduced not just two new tracks to the mix, but also a couple of new cars and a few software improvements that include the company's number one requested feature: race mode.
Anki Drive update offers new upgrades and weapons for its robotic slot cars
One of the most exciting aspects of Anki Drive's robotic race cars is that much like a video game, each vehicle can be upgraded with different boosts and items over time. Now, thanks to Anki's first major software update, the cars can get more goodies than ever. Indeed, the update lets each miniature racer get up to 20 upgrades across four different dimensions -- engine, combat, energy and chassis -- along with weapons and swappable items. Some of the latest tricks include a Reverse Drive that prompts the car to turn around and drive against the flow of traffic, a Kinetic Brake that brings it to a screeching halt sending the car behind you flying past, an electromagnetic pulse that'll send out a blast radius and a simple horn that pushes cars out of your way. Additionally, you need not worry about being stuck with an upgrade you didn't think was so great -- the new update also lets you swap out upgrades if you so wish. This way, you can explore many different progression paths. There's a little bit of a penalty when trading a skill back in, so you'll likely need to keep earning points to try out all the different possibilities. Still, the upgradeability of Drive is what sets it apart from ordinary toys. "It's been a great holiday season for us," Anki co-founder Mark Palatucci tells us. "Over 42 million laps have been driven on the Anki track in the US and in Canada... [With the update,] we're able to make the game significantly more fun, much more strategic and add many more dimensions to the gameplay." So if you're one of the lucky ones to score an Anki Drive over the winter break, go on and head on over to the App Store to get the first of many software updates that Anki hopes will keep the game fresh and exciting. As a gentle reminder of what Anki Drive is, we've included Anki's promo video after the break.
Anki Drive available in Apple Stores
One of the most remarkable gaming moments at this year's WWDC keynote was the debut of Anki Drive, a racing game that allows players to pit an iOS controlled toy car against a computer controlled competitor. The car is equipped with sensors that allow it to intuitively provide a challenging opponent for the player. Anki Drive is now available for purchase in Apple Stores nationwide. The starter kit, which retails for $200, comes with a vinyl track and two cars. Additional cars are available for $70 apiece. Each car has unique statistics and attributes including different levels of acceleration. Gamers can look forward to multiplayer support alongside the single player modes. The Anki Drive app is free to download in the App Store, so if you've got a friend with Anki you'll be able to play along.
Daily Update for October 17, 2013
It's the TUAW Daily Update, your source for Apple news in a convenient audio format. You'll get all the top Apple stories of the day in three to five minutes for a quick review of what's happening in the Apple world. You can listen to today's Apple stories by clicking the inline player (requires Flash) or the non-Flash link below. To subscribe to the podcast for daily listening through iTunes, click here. No Flash? Click here to listen. Subscribe via RSS
Smart slot racer Anki Drive will launch October 23
Anki Drive, the artificial intelligence, remote-controlled cars that were chosen to be the opening demo of this year's WWDC, will finally go on sale next Wednesday, October 23. Anki Drive aims to bring video games into the real world, per the company's app description: Anki Drive is a new kind of entertainment: a video game brought to life in the real world. Each car will be equipped with sensors and intelligent software that can make thousands of decisions every second, controls that allow them to drive at high speeds and turn on a dime and a competitive streak that makes for a very challenging opponent. Anki Drive is engineered to think and designed to win. The cars work by running on a special black track that is included with with the US$199 Anki Drive kit, which also includes two cars and chargers. Each car uses Bluetooth to talk to the iPhone app, which allows the player to control one of them. The other car is controlled by AI. Anki Drive will go on sale in Apple retail stores and on Apple's online store next Wednesday. The Anki Drive app is available as a free download today.
Anki Drive brings iOS videogame racing to real life for $199 (hands-on)
Six years ago, when Boris Sofman, Mark Palatucci and Hanns Tappeiner were enrolled in the robotics Ph.D. program at Carnegie Mellon University, they noticed that a vast majority of robotics and artificial intelligence research went into government and industrial sectors, with very little of it focusing on the consumer. The primary barrier was cost, of course, but as the price of hardware kept getting lower and as smartphones became more powerful and ubiquitous, the trio figured that the time was ripe for consumer robotics. As lovers of cars and video games, the group decided that a way to do this was to focus on a way to make physical toys as adaptable and as challenging as video games. Their solution was Anki Drive, a slot car racing game that utilizes artificial intelligence and machine learning so that the vehicles actually adapt and learn how to best each other on the track. It impressed Apple so much that the Cupertino company invited the team to unveil the product on the world stage at the WWDC keynote this year. They've kept pretty quiet since then, but four months later, and they're ready to reveal the final Anki Drive product to the world. Join us after the break as we give you a tour of how it works, share our brief hands-on impressions and tell you how you can get your hands on one yourself.
Anki Drive isn't just a car racing game, it's an iOS-based robotics platform
When Anki Drive was demoed live on stage during Apple's WWDC, we saw a modern take on classic slot cars using iOS devices and Bluetooth-equipped toy vehicles -- basically a racing video game rendered with real world objects. But there's actually a lot more to it than that. Earlier this week, we talked briefly with Boris Sofman -- Anki's CEO and cofounder -- about the product and the startup's history and ambitions. While playing the game and taking pictures was off limits, we got the opportunity to examine the cars up close. Read on after the break.
Apple announces Anki Drive, an AI robotics app controlled through iOS
Apple is just starting its WWDC keynote this morning, but it's already announcing something quite interesting: a new company called Anki and its inaugural iOS app called Anki Drive, which centers around artificial intelligence and robotics. The name, which is Japanese for "memorize," features smart cars that are capable of driving themselves (although you can certainly take over at any time) and communicate with your iPhone using Bluetooth LE. These intelligent vehicles, when placed upon a printed race track, can sense the track up to 500 times a second. The iOS-exclusive game is available as a beta in the App Store today, which you'll need to sign up for -- the full release won't be coming until this fall -- and it's billed as a "video game in the real world." According to the developers, "the real fun is when you take control of these cars yourselves," which we can definitely attest to -- the WWDC demo cars had weapons, after all. Follow all of our WWDC 2013 coverage at our event hub.
