"This combination of digital and physical play felt like magic, especially because the physical side of it was so dead simple: In addition to the iPad and the custom white stand, Osmo only relied on analog objects - wood tangram pieces, as well as Scrabble-like letter and number tiles - for its various puzzles and other tasks. And all it took for Osmo's apps to recognize these objects was a simple clip-on mirror that redirected the field of view of the iPad's front-facing camera onto the table surface."
"Osmo's playful use of computer vision to bridge the physical and the digital world helped the company win over many millions of fans over the years, and ultimately led to a $120 million acquisition by India's edutech giant Byju's in 2019. Then, Byju's imploded amid fraud accusations - and Osmo went down with the mothership, forced to shutter operations in 2024."
"Now, a small group of former Omso employees is trying to bring its magic back: Together, they acquired Osmo's IP and other assets for just $825,000 out of bankruptcy in December. Since then, they have been quietly restoring some of Osmo's existing apps, and even started selling remaining hardware - all while brainstorming ways to take Osmo's technology to the next level."
Osmo was an innovative edutainment system that merged digital and physical gameplay using computer vision technology. Players interacted with physical objects like wooden puzzle pieces while an iPad displayed corresponding digital challenges, creating an immersive learning experience. The company's elegant approach—using only a clip-on mirror to redirect the iPad's camera—resonated with millions of users and attracted a $120 million acquisition by Indian edutech company Byju's in 2019. However, Byju's subsequently faced fraud accusations and collapsed, forcing Osmo to shut down in 2024. Recently, former Osmo employees purchased the company's assets and intellectual property from bankruptcy for $825,000, beginning efforts to restore existing applications and explore new technological directions.
#osmo-revival #educational-technology #computer-vision #physical-digital-integration #bankruptcy-acquisition
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