Disney Joins Jakks to Create Toys in the Cloud

Children have always imagined their toys singing, dancing, and interacting with them in a life-like fantasy world. But until recently, that was only possible in their imaginations. Once again, Disney is blurring the line between fantasy and reality, by teaming up with toy maker Jakks Pacific and Patrick Soon-Shiong’s tech company NantWorks, and creating a new line of revolutionary, interactive toys.

These new toys will come to life with the help of DreamPlay, created by Jakks and NantWorks, by means of a new AR (alternate reality) gaming app.  The app will be accessible on Apple Inc. gadgets such as the iPad or tablets and smartphones using Google Inc. Android software.

How it Works

This cutting-edge technology works by way of the “cloud”; videos and images stored on remote servers and sent to the device when it recognizes an object. The new DreamPlay compatible toys use an image-recognition technology which, in combination with your iPad or other device, will respond to data, images, 3D objects, live video, and speech. With this new technology, your child will be able to aim the tech device at the toy and see one of numerous preset animations which will appear to move around in the actual world.

Just imagine the excitement on a child’s face as his or her favorite Disney character dances around in the child’s own bedroom. For example, one of the new toys is a small piano keyboard. When aiming your tablet at the keyboard, Tinkerbell may dance up and down the keys, or even teach the child to play a new song.

Release Date

Disney and NantWorks demonstrated their incredible concept at this month’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Prices have yet to be announced, but the toy line is said to be released in U.S. retail stores in October, and will be available internationally in 2014.

[Images via designdisneyraoul & drsukhi]