From NFC technology to image recognition, SquareOne, the board game console developed by Wizama, is a technological product that has required several years of R&D to provide exemplary gaming comfort. Several patents have been filed.
From NFC technology to image recognition, SquareOne, the board game console developed by Wizama, is a technological product that has required several years of R&D to provide exemplary gaming comfort. Several patents have been filed.
This is a product that did not yet exist. As you can see on startup Wizama's Kickstarter campaign page, the SquareOne board game console combines the worlds of board games and video games. Thought out and designed to offer new experiences to gamers, it is much more than a touch screen. Cards, pawns, dice are connected, and to make it all work, Wizama has overcome technological challenges.
The Ecosystem
The SquareOne is equipped with a powerful processor to support animations, speakers, and 78 lighted LEDs. The personalized touch screen, consisting of a 19-inch screen with a resolution of 1280 x 1024 p60, is also waterproof. "It had to be beer proof," Didier G., head of back-end developments at Wizama, said with a smile.
NFC techno
Playing cards equipped with NFC technology are detected when they are placed on the edge of the console. “There are precisely 26 cells, 26 detection antennas distributed all around the board. We had to make sure that they did not interfere with each other. It was a major work. We were supported in this process by a very specialized research office in the field of radio frequencies," explained Didier G. Radiation tests were carried out. "It works perfectly today," he assured us. The pawns can use NFC technology. Depending on the game, they can also be tactile. Just touch them for the point of contact to be made.
Image recognition
Dice detection was the second big technological challenge. After considering NFC for this feature, the team quickly recognized the limitations of this approach. "It would have restricted us to the use of 6-sided dice and in a limited number," explained Didier G. It was image recognition that was chosen. Not so simple, however. "We wanted a dice track that was not too thick, which meant that the camera was very close to the dice surface, but gave images to be analyzed with a strong distortion that had to be compensated for through algorithms. Today we are obtaining excellent results," insisted Didier G. This dice track is patented.
On Kickstarter until December 15
Currently, you can pre-order the SquareOne on Kickstarter, a crowdfunding platform. The supports enables the production of the console and its delivery by the end of 2021. You can discover the world of the SquareOne:
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