Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Sifteo’s intelligent cubes go open-source after disappointing commercial run

Sifteo, a system of intelligent gaming cubes launched with significant fanfare in 2011, has gone open-source.

Founded in 2009 by MIT Media Lab graduates David Merrill and Jeevan Kalanithi, Sifteo set out to promote a vision of computers being ubiquitous and on every possible surface. Now, the software behind the cubes is available to anyone.

Designed to be a bit like dominos with video displays, the cubes were meant to form unique interactions when moved, tilted, rotated, or placed together.

Originally sold in sets of three for $150, the cubes were interesting and even exciting in a way, but Sifteo never took off as a commercial product. The company sold itself in July to 3D Robotics, the drone company that former Wired magazine editor-in-chief Chris Anderson founded.