Moff Band Uses Sound Effects to Turn Movement into Games
Adults aren't the only ones who have their eyes glued to screens all day - kids are also obsessed with smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices. As a way to combat this phenomenon, Japanese company Moff Inc. created the Moff Band: a bold, fun wearable that's meant to be used without a screen in front of you, relying heavily on your imagination. Using the band's sensors and accompanying app, the $55 Moff Band uses sound effects and your own movements to let you play games and complete activities.
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The band itself is fun, made of a slap bracelet with a sensor pack that slides on into the middle of the band. Inside are accelerometers and gyroscopes that detect movement and position, which tells the Moff app which sounds to play depending on the activity you've chosen. The band connects to your iOS (and soon Android) device via Bluetooth, and you can toggle through different sounds within an activity by using the button on the Moff sensor. This lets you change up what you're doing, even when your device is across the room.
Position is particularly important for certain Moff activities. If you want to rock out on the drums, Moff knows where certain instruments would be placed in a typical drum set; if you hit an imaginary drum directly in front of you, it will sound like a snare drum or a tom drum, but if you swing above your head, you'll hit the cymbals. Moff's awareness of your body in space makes for an immersive experience, since you can move how you would if you were interacting with real-life objects and other people.
After playing around with the Moff Band, I also see its potential as an educational tool. For the holidays, Moff Inc. will be releasing some special sounds, including a bells activity in which you can play Jingle Bells - but you have to move your arms and hands in the right directions like a proper bell musician to hear Jingle Bells correctly.
Moff comes with 13 preinstalled activities, including drums, guitar, tennis, boxing, golf and cooking. The company plans on releasing a new sound or activity every week as a free download, so you'll never run out of new things to do. Moff operates on a coin cell battery, making it easily replaceable and long-lasting - the band automatically goes into sleep mode when you're not using it, allowing it to get several months of battery life. You can order Moff now on Amazon for $55.
Valentina Palladino is a senior writer for Tom's Guide. Follow her at @valentinalucia. Follow Tom's Guide at @tomsguide and on Facebook.
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