Silicon Valley-based robotics, consumer robotics, smart toys and video games company Anki is set to launch its robotics products Cozmo and OVERDRIVE in the Australian market.
The launch includes Anki OVERDRIVE, marketed as the “world’s most intelligent robotic battle-racing system”, Anki OVERDRIVE: Fast & Furious Edition, based on the popular Fast & Furious film franchise, with Coszmo, a small robot “with a big brain, and an even bigger personality”.
According to Anki, by harnessing the power of robotics and aritificial intelligence it is bringing a previously “unattainable level of intelligence and gameplay” to the physical world by blending the best of toys and video games into an entertainment experience.
Anki also says frequent updates to Cozmo and OVERDRIVE: Fast & Furious Edition, mean there is new content to discover and ways to play year round.
{loadposition peter}Cozmo and Anki OVERDRIVE are available for pre-order through JB Hi-Fi and Australian Geographic and Anki OVERDRIVE: Fast & Furious Edition is available for pre-order only at JB Hi-Fi.
“Cozmo is bringing advanced robotics into the home in an engaging and emotive way,” said Boris Sofman, chief executive and co-founder, Anki. “He has been intricately designed to have a deep personality and character traits like the robots that we’ve come to love in Hollywood films, and we’re incredibly excited for everyone to meet him.”
Sofman says Cozmo is the result of more than six years of research and development by a team of the “best and brightest roboticists, film animators, game developers and designers”. The Anki team also includes Hollywood designer Harald Belker, designer of the Batmobile as well as vehicles from Tron: Legacy and Minority Report.
Sofman says in the Anki OVERDRIVE game, players take control of the Supercars of the future via handheld mobile devices and battle and race against friends, family, or AI-controlled commanders in a variety of game modes, or, go head-to-head with elite commanders in the campaign mode.
“Anki OVERDRIVE takes a game that we all used to love as children — slot cars — and thrusts it into the future,“ says Sofman. “It’s a video game in the real world, providing players with a totally new gameplay experience. Anki OVERDRIVE pairs advanced robotics and gaming together to bring physical products to life at level of depth and intelligence never before possible.”
And Sofman says the Anki OVERDRIVE: Fast & Furious Edition gives players the chance to relive epic movie moments as they battle the Toretto crew, or race against friends and family members.