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Toy Fair Day 1: Blurring Lines

As I've noted previously, the number of companies getting on board with building toys has increased every year. With LEGO as the biggest toy manufacturer in the world and companies like Goldieblox going from Kickstarter to Thanksgiving Day parade float in less than two years, it's easy to see where the money is. But technology isn't going away, and we as a society are getting more and more connected every day. But rather than choose between classic construction or cutting edge tech, more companies than ever are working both features into their latest offerings.

Spin Master Meccano Ferrari and Lamborghini kits


Spin Master is well known for their remote control vehicles, and was our first stop at the show. They had some great looking items from the upcoming Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, some very slick Star Wars items (including a lifting body TIE Advanced fighter and a life-sized BB-8). But they also had some new items in their Meccano line, including several licensed cars from Ferrari and Lamborghini. These were unique in several respects: unlike typical Meccano kits that use strictly metal parts, these also included some plastic components to allow for curved fenders, bumpers, and other details. Spin Master also incorporated their knowledge of RC racing into these new sets, some of which could be built around a standard RC chassis to allow builders to race their completed models.

SmartLab MotorBlox Vehicle Lab


SmartLab Toys was also demonstrating their newest "build & play" concept with their MotorBlox line. There are currently two sets: Vehicle Lab (pictured) and Robot Lab (same idea, but with feet instead of wheels). The idea is to help kids learn about mechanical concepts like gear ratios, torque, and locomotion, while the full compatability with existing brands such as LEGO and Mega keep kids in familiar environments and allow them to use MotorBlox with their existing toys.

Play Monster Roominate


Also on hand was Play Monster (formerly Patch) and their Roominate series. Created by Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen, Roominate was first introduced last year as a way to encourage girls to build as well as create and integrate basic electric circuits into their toys. To take the idea even further, a downloadable app is available to allow builder to control the lights and motors in their creations.

K'NEX Mighty Makers


Last year, K'NEX introduced a new line called Mighty Makers, which included one of my favorite sets of 2105. This year they will be expanding the line with several new sets, including the "Director's Cut" pictured above. This set comes with a phone stand and props to allow builders to set up and film short videos, and a downloadable app will let aspiring animators create stop-motion videos and add special effects.

UB Tech JIMU


Finally, UB Tech had their newest dancing robots on display with JIMU. JIMU is a series of buildable robots that, once complete, can be controlled from your smart phone. The robots use similar servos to UB Tech's Alpha line, making JIMU's movements particularly fluid, but because these are built around a standard core there are far more options for builders who want to make their robots look unique.


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