New App brings LEGO® bricks to life

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Today, the LEGO Group is providing children across the world the opportunity to play using a free augmented reality app that allows users to explore their creativity by mixing virtual and physical LEGO® play together, in a brand new and unique way.

Coming out of the LEGO Group’s department that explores the future of play - Creative Play Lab - LEGO AR-Studio™ is a creative tool, developed with Apple’s ARKit, that allows children to play with digital versions of some of the most popular LEGO sets*, in real-world scenes using augmented reality that mixes them with physical LEGO models.

Tom Donaldson, VP, Creative Play Lab at the LEGO Group said:

“We believe the best way to predict the future of play is to invent it. LEGO AR-Studio pioneers new possibilities for imaginative play where children can enjoy both physical interaction and digital engagement at the same time. This is one of many ways we innovate to combine physical and digital LEGO play into a fun and creative experience for children.”

In the app, children and LEGO fans can explore and control virtually enhanced animated versions of LEGO models in real-world environments, making and playing out their own unique stories and adventures. The app also allows users to record the action and save video clips directly to their smart device.

“The play experience in LEGO AR-Studio is open-ended, leaving children’s imagination and creativity to shape up the play universe. It allows children to play in engaging ways, while having ‘one hand in each world’ – playing and building with the physical LEGO models, while holding on to their device and bringing sets to life,” says Tom Donaldson.

LEGO AR-Studio brings LEGO sets to life with fun animations and audiovisual effects when they are placed together. Special play features include a dragon breathing fire, trains sounding a horn or a LEGO® firetruck using a fire-hose – all of which can be activated while playing. Virtual Golden Bricks are also hidden around in the LEGO AR environment, for children to search and collect while playing.

**LEGO AR-Studio is available here.

  • LEGO® sets available in the app at launch:

• LEGO City Police Station - 60047
• LEGO City Train Set - 60052
• LEGO City Fire Station - 60110
• LEGO Ninjago The Green NRG Dragon - 70593
• LEGO Ninjago Movie – Cole’s Mech - 70632
• LEGO Ninjago Movie – Destiny’s Bounty - 70618

** LEGO® AR-Studio™ is available on the following iOS 11 devices: iPhone SE, iPhone 6s and later, iPad (2017), iPad Pro (1st Generation and later).