Toys & Games Industry
The Bend Sensor® was launched in 1998 in several lines of interactive plush toys. The Bull Frogg™ by Ohio Art, Puppy So Real from Irwin Toys, and Bash N' Brawlers from Toy Biz all incorporated Bend Sensor® as a nervous system capable of generating a variety of responses to varying degrees of pressure or bending. These toys hit the market in time for Christmas 1998 and were well received.
In 1998, Flexpoint produced over 7,000,000 Bend Sensors® for incorporation into several lines of interactive plush toys.
New applications in the toy and games industries have been researched since and now include Virtual Reality (VR) games, including extensive adoption by glove-based (wearable) game manufacturers.
Bend Sensor® technology has many potential applications in the consumer products sector. A key marketing strategy is to pursue product applications that emphasize functionality, high degrees of sensitivity, reliability, quality, and user convenience. Such products might include computer peripherals (mouse, keyboard, input devices, laptop controls, tablets, etc.), communications equipment (smartphones Cellular phones), small and large appliances (high-temperature switches, safety controls, on/off switches, balance controls), as well as health and fitness equipment and sporting goods, including wearables such as Mettis Trainer®.