Mind Sports has created arguably the most expensive and advanced tournament Scrabble system in the world. It's set to be unveiled at the Prague Mind Sports Festival next month and is a tech-lovers dream. It cost over $25,000 to produce because it utilizes custom-built RFIDs to read the entire Scrabble board almost instantaneously (974 milliseconds), transmitting the information via software to viewers online.
The Scrabble board consists of nine RFID circuit boards that house 225 RFID antennas, which read each individual Scrabble square. Each Scrabble letter tile has its own uniquely identifiable RFID tag embedded within (100 in total), with an RFID circuit board enclosed in each of the players tile racks to ensure that all information is captured and showcased to the online viewers.
The tournament play software created by UK developers The Site Doctor extracts the information collected via the RFID readers and relays it on screen in an easy-to-follow, graphical display alongside the HD video footage of each player. Coupled with the online streaming of the tournament; fans of Scrabble will be able to easily track the game live as it unfolds from the venue - creating a front seat atmosphere from the comfort of their own homes.
The new $25,000 RFID Scrabble system from Mind Sports International.
In addition to the technology integration, the board's turntable unit has a carbon fiber finish and integrated RGB-controlled LED lighting system in order to bring additional style and complete customization to the table - a design which has quickly become a focal point of the festival following recent pictures being leaked via Twitter.
"Our goal was to help bring popular Scrabble tournaments to life, whilst reaching a wider audience by capturing tournament play in a technologically advanced and engaging manner," explains Dave Brannan, CEO, Mind Sports (International) and Living it Loving it Ltd. "This allows us to broadcast Scrabble in all its glory, interacting with viewers that share a passion for this iconic game and mind sports as a whole across the world."
(SCRABBLE(TM) and associated trademarks and trade dress are owned by, and used under license from Mattel, Inc. SCRABBLE is a registered trademark of J.W. Spear&Sons Limited, a subsidiary of Mattel, Inc. (c) 2012 Mattel, Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
