CogniToy™ Announces Add-on Pack to Program and Simulate Physical Robots

MindRover™ brings its virtual robots to life

ACTON, MA. June 21, 2001 MindRover: the Europa Project, the highly acclaimed intelligent robot simulation/strategy game from CogniToy, is now expanding into the realm of physical robots with the MR_RCX add-on pack. This add-on pack allows players to program and simulate two LEGO® RCX™ Robots within the MindRover game.

With MindRover, players take on the challenge of programming virtual robotic vehicles for races, games, sports and robot combat. After choosing a base vehicle and components such as motors, sensors, and timers, the player then programs the robots brain using MindRover's innovative drag and drop "wiring" system. The autonomous robots then compete in a 3D arena taking on their friends vehicles or the games own AI robots.

The RCX Add-on pack provides 15 new components and an arena where players can program and simulate two robots designed with the LEGO RCX robotics kit. Once the player has created an RCX brain file, they download the file into the physical robot to see it perform in their living room.

"CogniToy is in the business of creating software for robots", "MindRovers architecture is now proving its capability to extend into the physical world",

"We designed the architecture for MindRover to be platform independent. It can work with all sorts of robots," explained Kent Quirk, CTO of CogniToy. "The RCX pack is the first set of components that we have made available to the public."

MR_RCX Facts at a glance

-- 15 new components that simulate both physical and logical components that work with the LEGO RCX system

-- Program your RCX robot in an easy to use, yet very powerful wiring system

-- Simulate your robot in the bunk room to see how it will react to lights, timers, bumps and other environmental stimulus

-- Download your brain files into your RCX to see your robot come to life

-- Trade RCX brain files with your friends

-- Compete your robots against your friends or enter Internet contests

The MR_RCX pack, at $15.00, can be purchased and downloaded directly from CogniToys website: cognitoy.com. You need the full MindRover: The Europa Project game (PC Version, $25.00), to use the add-on pack.

ABOUT COGNITOY, LLC :

CogniToy, cognitoy.com, is a privately financed independent developer and publisher of computer software for robots. Founded in 1997 and based in Acton, MA, CogniToys first product is a virtual robot game, MindRover: The Europa Project, which is available for Win95/98/NT/2000 and for Linux.

LEGO and RCX are trademarks of the LEGO Group. CogniToy claims no affiliation with the LEGO Group and is creating software that can run on many robotic platforms.