Hong Kong Toy and Games Fair 2014

This is augmented-reality 3D graphics in action. The technology is able to recognize a toy by using an app from iTunes. The toy's 2D image is captured on screen and turned into a 3D cartoon graphic on your tablet. So far this technology has been trialed by turning toy figures into 3D cartoon graphics as part of a storybook format. This value-added tech toy combines traditional design with virtual technology to transport children from their real world to a virtual world. The CEO of APPS1010, Wilson Chiu, says all too often modern technology cuts off children from their parents: "We can see today, all the kid, wouldn't like to hand out the device. They don't want to give up. They are playing the game, the online game, or some electronic books but I can't see any interactive with the parents. So I want to create some object, which is a 3D object, together with the device, which can let the parents to share their time and their knowledge with the kid and interact together, to play together instead of alone." Being a toy fair there isn't a short supply of furry animals here. These look like most normal cuddly toys but beneath that cute exterior is built-in voice technology which enables the toys to connect with an iPad. In order to listen to your toy talking, you need to download an app. You can also play various games and the better you do the more you'll be cheered by your toy. The voice technology is synchronized with the wave sounds generated from the game app. This giant pink bunny contains a digital face which interacts with the user. The founder of Roam Wander, Jason Warren, says this iPad-powered bunny is designed to inspire kids' creativity by bringing digital apps and physical toys together: "So, this is TuTu. In order to do a good job taking care of her, you need to give her love and you can give her love by using this magic ring. So if you use the magic ring, then you can make her happy." Instead of owning a real pet, you can now keep a virtual pet rabbit at home with mini toys to keep the rabbit happy, and you get to learn vocabularies too. Warren says, with its easing of the one-child policy, is a market set to boom: "There're a lot of kids whose home in China whose parents already have iPhones, Android devices, iPads, tablets, things like that and a lot of those kids are totally digital. Kids love to play games and they are using apps all the time. Then so by sort of loosening up their policy (the Chinese government announced easing the one-child policy officially), I think that one. It will grow the number of kids that are there; and we are targeting very young children between two, four and six years-old. So the impact our business in short term of losing that policy could be really positive." But it's not all smart-technology-traditional toys such as model cars, doll houses and wooden toys remain classics. Globally, the standard of living has risen sharply in the past 10 years, so many parents are looking for higher quality toys for their offspring.