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Blending the physical with the digital: What we can learn from Lego and 3D printing

New tech lets us go from physical to virtual and back; how can this be applied to digital signage and kiosk solutions?

July 21, 2014 by Laura Miller — Director of Marketing, Kioware

This recent CNET article profiles a new product being sold by Lego, combining physical Lego creations with virtual tablet interactivity. The new product, Lego Fusion, blends bricks with bytes and combines digital interaction with physical play.

Much like engineers use Solidworks or ProE to design something, analyze it and make it interact with other parts, then go to a workshop and build it via 3D printing or their own hands, Lego Fusion will allow kids to combine these two mediums into "play."

How can brick-and-mortar retailers use this concept to increase sales? Should Angry Birds toys be placed next to a tablet kiosk allowing for users to play the Angry Birds games? Can those games be purchased at the same time, either online, or in the store? Can the advent of 3D printing be a bridge that unites digital to physical?

Following Lego's latest innovation for integrating offline with online, it seems evident that gaming systems, software programs and websites can offer an opportunity to use this same strategy, fusing the physical and digital for both work and play.

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