World's first augmented reality teddy bear now at Apple stores

The in-app experience features games and puzzles, as well as photo and video functionality

Tech giant Apple will be the exclusive retailer of "Parker" — an augmented reality (AR)-ready teddy-bear "Parker" launched by children's toy start-up Seedling, which comes to "life" through iOS-based AR effects.

Priced at $59.95, "Parker" works through a free AR app "Seedling" for playtime sessions and does not require a battery, camera and Wi-Fi radio to drive meaningful user interactions, AppleInsider reported late on Tuesday.

Designed to facilitate play pretend for kids, "Parker" comes with a doctor's kit, backpack and special X-ray bibs that trigger AR responses in the corresponding app.

Children can diagnose common ailments with the accessories made of wood, including thermometer and stethoscope to "cure" the teddy with a medicine bottle and spoon.

 

An iPad or iPhone running iOS 11, can be employed for more in-depth examinations of the toy's bones and internal organs. Kids can use "3D Touch" to help it take deeper breaths and test lung capacity.

The in-app experience also features games and puzzles, as well as photo and video functionality, the report added.

On performing a successful treatment through solving a problem or a puzzle, "Parker's Happiness Factor" rises, indicated by special AR effects.