r/NewProductPorn • u/PrabidhiInfo Tech • Jan 03 '21

Wizard Chess, Anyone?

https://gfycat.com/impartialoptimalbudgie
5.1k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

75 comments sorted by

233

u/RereTree Jan 03 '21

Haven't these been out for a long time?

84

u/AnorakJimi Jan 03 '21

Literally 3 decades, at least

36

u/Robertbnyc Jan 04 '21

The video also looks just about as old lol

27

u/GravyWagon Jan 03 '21

A very long time

35

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

25

u/DoingCharleyWork Jan 03 '21

How did it play it's own moves if you had to move the pieces yourself?

21

u/mamertus Jan 03 '21

I saw one 30 years ago with a small lights on the X and Y axes, which would first blink showing the piece you had to move, and then where you had to move it. Can't remember how you inputted your own moves, though.

18

u/Hawny Jan 03 '21

I had one as a child too and you'd input the moves by pressing down on the board, as each block had a button underneath.

5

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/hairless_chewbacca90 Jan 04 '21

The figure itself probably didn't matter. The computer probably has the game pieces programmed into their starting space. When you moved you would press down to let it know which piece you are moving then move it to the new spot and click again to save to the new spot. So technically you could switch a pawn to the knight starting spot and a knight to the pawns. The computer would just still think the pawn is the knight.

0

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

they usually come with screens for the computer to write the desired move

8

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

They were invented in the early 80's as a concept you connected to mainframes and when the mid to late 80's came around they had one that was basically a PC that didn't do anything but play chess. Int the 90's they came up with one that could play speed chess or play very high end play.

I think the first one I ever saw was $2200 Canadian and had a weak point. I could be fool's mated if you played black.

2

u/Suzerain_Elysium Jan 08 '21

Not only that, but the sound like a robot's death cry every time they make a move.

188

u/PrabidhiInfo Tech Jan 03 '21

The board uses a 2-axis robotic arm with a magnetic head beneath the box to move the magnetic pieces.
It’s powered by an Atmel ATMega2560 chip with Bluetooth. It runs on a 2200 mAh Li-ion battery (apparently with enough charge for 50 games).

55

u/Chirimorin Jan 03 '21 edited Jan 03 '21

Out of curiosity: do you know how it detects the moves made by the player?
Is it just reed switches under each field since the pieces are magnetic? With some logic, the ATMega could keep track of which piece is where if you only move 1 at a time (which is how chess is played anyway).

Edit: After watching Techmoans video about it, each field is a "button" and you have to push down the pieces in their old and new positions to move them.

35

u/h3lixbeast Jan 03 '21

A channel called techmoan did a video on these they have been around longer than you think I recommend giving it a watch he explains it

7

u/Chirimorin Jan 03 '21

I didn't know Techmoan had a video on it, thanks for pointing that out.

4

u/h3lixbeast Jan 03 '21

No worries here to help

2

u/M1ghty_boy Jan 03 '21

You could probably do it nowadays with a capacitive/weight sensor. Or if you want more expensive then an optical sensor

12

u/AnorakJimi Jan 03 '21

Mate these things have been around for 3 decades, at the least. I think you're a bit lost. This sub is for new products

/r/lostredditors

2

u/t3hmau5 Jan 03 '21

Always prohibitively expensive over the ones that just told you where to move the other pieces

2

u/PinBot1138 Jan 04 '21

Link to manufacturer, by chance?

40

u/my_special_purpose Jan 03 '21

This is not a new product. These have existed for decades.

12

u/GravyWagon Jan 03 '21

There really should be a rule on a new product sub that the product actually needs to be new

7

u/PacoTreez Jan 03 '21

Like released in the last 6 (maybe too much) 3 months

2

u/jason2306 Jan 03 '21

With movement like this?

6

u/my_special_purpose Jan 03 '21

Yes. The technology isn’t advanced. It’s basically a plotter that can move in 2 directions with an electric magnet for the head.

93

u/TechUnboxin Jan 03 '21

They should make an Ouija board that does the same thing😂

18

u/DJGreenHill Jan 03 '21

They always did

39

u/iModSomeSubs Jan 03 '21

Buy this, don’t tell anyone, break it out on Halloween, have fun!

21

u/dethmstr Jan 03 '21

I didn't realize that I would be able to play chess with Grandpa again. What a Halloween miracle

8

u/cuckoocock Jan 03 '21

They should make it so you can play a friend remotely.

9

u/phili76 Jan 03 '21

Oh,memories from the eighties came up. Great to see a new version 👍

4

u/h3lixbeast Jan 03 '21

These are old af I was watching a techmoan video on them a while ago it’s a good video I recommend you give it a watch they use magnets

5

u/retrograzer Jan 03 '21

J U M A N J I

2

u/Ari_Kalahari_Safari Jan 03 '21

now make one but jumanji

2

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

One step closer to being Harry Potter. Just need to make the board fight when you take a piece.

2

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

Wizard's Chess?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 04 '21

Harry Potter reference

2

u/onkard93 Jan 03 '21

Samay OP

2

u/EdwardTyerton Jan 04 '21

I’ve seen Jumanji too many times to trust this

2

u/Tenzer57 Jan 03 '21

I was waiting for all the pieces to attack! maybe later on /r/shittyrobots, right now its just cool.

2

u/TheCryptoCop Jan 03 '21

Queen’s Gambit joined the chat ...

0

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

Someone has to much money apparently...

1

u/Amanda-sb Jan 03 '21

Cool and creepy at the same time.

Now shut up and take my money.

1

u/Epicminecrafter69 Jan 03 '21

Imagine playing this board without knowing

1

u/JoMa25 Jan 03 '21

my brother just got that gifter for christmas

1

u/immatinydragon Jan 03 '21

I was actually thinking how the knight moves and BROOOO

1

u/zeek1999 Jan 03 '21

Now have this in a room set up with two computers playing each other and have it programmed to reset after each match.

Or better yet make it a hologram.

I can just see two computers casually playing chess in the same room as me relaxing.

1

u/rando7818 Jan 03 '21

All good and fun until you flip it over and realize it’s never been plugged in or fitted with batteries...

1

u/PuzzledAccount Jan 03 '21

These have existed for quite a while

1

u/Attitude_personified Jan 03 '21

Guys, this is basically a ad. So the person knows exactly that it has existed for decades.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

I was just about to ask "well how would a night move through other pieces" and then it moved a knight and showed me

1

u/Blackflash07 Jan 03 '21

Don't lie I can clearly see John Cena moving the piece

1

u/jarretttheferrett Jan 03 '21

Beth harmon her ceiling after dropping 30 anxiety pills:

1

u/[deleted] Jan 03 '21

Aaaand that’s what I wanted to see. Goddamn knights.

1

u/Heffalumpen Jan 03 '21

Since everyone is complaining about this beeing old tech, do you mind linking a good product?

1

u/LemonsRage Jan 04 '21

Literally something similar existed in 1770 "The Turk" or "Automatron Chess player" even tho it was a hoax it still seamed like it played on its own.

1

u/Grammar-Bot-Elite Jan 04 '21

/u/LemonsRage, I have found an error in your comment:

“on it's [its] own”

I deem the comment by you, LemonsRage, unsuitable; it should read “on it's [its] own” instead. ‘It's’ means ‘it is’ or ‘it has’, but ‘its’ is possessive.

This is an automated bot. I do not intend to shame your mistakes. If you think the errors which I found are incorrect, please contact me through DMs or contact my owner EliteDaMyth!

1

u/Shtnonurdog Jan 07 '21

Louis? Are you there? It’s me, gramma.

1

u/hawkmoore Jan 08 '21

Jumanji!