Chirp collaborates with Hijinx to bring toys to life

Chirp, a UCLB spinout company, has partnered with Chicago-based toy company Hijinx to create toys based on Netflix original series Beat Bugs. The worldwide exclusive agreement will see the toyco use Hijinx Alive powered by Chirp to produce products that are inspired by–and react to–the music-centric series.

Chirp’s proprietary technology encodes data into a series of pitches and tones that form a sonic barcode, which is then interpreted by a receiving device. In its partnership with Hijinx, Chirp customised its technology to interact with select audio from Beat Bugs. The toys recognise portions of the series itself, which means they are interactive without the need for traditional internet connectivity. As a result, Hijinx says the toys are safe and secure. Retailers, including Target in the US and UK-based Tesco, will carry the upcoming interactive toys.

Find out more here.

About Chirp
A Chirp is a sonic barcode. With Chirp technology, data and content can be encoded into a unique audio stream. Any device with a speaker can transmit a chirp, and most devices with a microphone can decode them. You don’t need an internet connection or the other person’s contact details and you don’t have to pair devices. The system is designed for the many cases where it would be inconvenient or impossible to use existing network technologies. Find out more: http://www.chirp.io

About UCLB
UCL Business PLC (UCLB) is a leading technology commercialisation company that supports research and innovations arising from UCL, one of the UK’s top research-led universities. UCLB has a successful track record and a strong reputation for identifying and protecting promising new technologies and innovations from UCL academics. UCLB has a strong track record in commercialising medical technologies and provides technology transfer services to UCL’s associated hospitals; University College London Hospitals, Moorfields Eye Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and the Royal Free London Hospital. It invests directly in development projects to maximise the potential of the research and manages the commercialisation process of technologies from laboratory to market.

For further information, please visit: www.uclb.com