OSMO

One of the things that we were most looking forward to seeing at FETC was Osmo. It not only met our expectations, but easily exceeded them. In a nutshell, Osmo is a gaming accessory/add-on for the iPad. The Osmo system blends the real-world with the digital world in 3 different exciting games:

Osmo in use

Each Osmo kit comes with 2 hardware add-ons and 3 games. The add-ons include a simple stand for your iPad, and a device that clips over the front-facing camera. The red device is a “specially designed mirror that translates your real world actions into a digital environment.”1 Te 3 games each present a different sort of challenge:

Tangram

Tangram is a throwback, of sorts, to my elementary school days. Players are given 7 different pieces and are presented with a shape on the screen. Players then have to try to match the shape on the screen by assembling the different pieces. “Arrange tangible puzzle pieces into matching on?screen shapes.”2

Newton

Newton presents a different challenge. Users are challenged to get falling balls into a designated zone. To do so, users can use just about any object to make the balls bounce into these zones.

Words

Words is a sort of hangman style game. Users are given a picture that offers some sort of clue as to the word: “Be the first to guess and spell out the on?screen hidden word by tossing down real?life letters faster than your friends. A related picture gives the clue.”3

We had a chance to see the device and all 3 games in person at FETC. Check it out:

  1. Osmo, “FAQs”  
  2. Osmo  
  3. Osmo