If you give a kid the choice between going to gym glass or playing video games, there's a good chance s/he will pick the latter. So why not combine them?
That's what Moff, a hardware startup based out of Tokyo, more or less set out to do, by mashing up the landmark game Pac-Man with a fitness app and wearable technology. The result? A smartband that combines the aesthetic of Bandai Namco's classic arcade game — first released when the entertainment corporation was known as the game developer Namco in 1980 — with a kinetic upgrade, allowing kids to get a fun workout in a new but familiar way.
Introduced at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, the wearable uses the company's "gamified business platform" which connects to a Bluetooth-linking Moff-compatible (as well as iOS- and Android-compatible) app and cloud-based tech, all of which is implemented to parse real-time movements for game/fitness-play. Users can direct Pac-Man up, down, left, and right with their arm movements to guide it through the maze while wearing the Moff Band, which is connected via Bluetooth to a smart device.
"Our goal is for Moff to bring an expertise in gamified fitness technology in partnership with trusted entertainment industry leaders and together create innovative relationships between kids and wearable technology," said Moff CEO and co-founder Aki Takahagi in a press statement released Tuesday, Jan. 5. "With the launch of 'Pac-Man Powered by Moff' in partnership with Bandai Namco Entertainment, we are providing kids and families a new user experience to enjoy a classic game while staying active. We want to keep kids moving!"
Made possible via a Kickstarter campaign and investments made by Bandai Namco, the snap-on band comes in three different colors (pink, orange, and blue), and is currently available on Amazon for $54.99 USD; the app is free to download in the Google Play, Amazon and Apple app stores. It requires iOS 7.1 or later.
Check out Moff's Pac-Man fitness wearable in the video below.
Source: CES
