Episode 196 – Fish Lips

Robots and cosmetics loom large in this week’s episode of Games at Work, just not at the same time!  Beginning with a pair of life-like robots, Michael and Michael take a look at a tortoise that is designed from the ground up to provide robot-to-human feedback on how to interact with it, turning red, and even withdrawing its head under its shell when children bang on its shell, and alternately dancing a bit when the children pet it. Another robot is designed by MIT’s CSAIL team for undersea adventure — swimming naturally as other fish do, which can allow it … Continue reading

Episode 195 – Augmented Audio

via GIPHY   Michael & Michael start off this episode with Google’s opening up of Google Maps APIs so that game developers can access all the power of Maps in their game construction.  This reminded Michael M a little of the Monopoly City Streets game, and even more about how Maps could be combined with Street Fighter, Real World Warrior Edition, where you can play as your favorite Street Fighter character, either on a tabletop, or out in the real world, right on the street using augmented reality. Bose has announced at SXSW a pair of sunglasses to deliver augmented … Continue reading

Episode 194 – Human Roombas

Michael and Michael get back together to talk about the latest smart home news, starting with the Amazon acquisition of Ring.  The pair speculate on what this level of integration in the Amazon ecosystem could bring — everything from delivery verification, to drone delivery enablement to package recipient identification. Mobile apps captured their attention with location-based & experience-driven marketing as well as with augmented reality.  Augmented reality also features in this week’s episode in the form of a motorcycle helmet prototype  and the upcoming Ghostbusters mobile game. What do you think will be the next big thing in IoT?   … Continue reading

Episode 193 – Icy Robotic HomePods

Curling at the 2018 Pyeonchang Winter Olympics Michael M welcomes the HomePod and it’s robotic assistant Siri to his home, and shares some of his good experiences with his new smart speaker, not the least of which was listening to the radio broadcast of the Tar Heel Sports Network synchronized to the television video courtesy of the Tunecast app and the HomePod. The 2018 Pyeong Chang Olympics’ opening ceremony incorporated augmented reality and drones, much to the delight of the Games At Work crew.  Michael R pointed out the challenges involved in the droneshow, remembering the Super Bowl 51 weather, … Continue reading