Laser tag is a fun game to play with your friends. But wouldn’t it be more fun if you could play it with more than a dozen-odd players at once? Alexander Palamarchuk, the brains behind iTager, thinks so.
Unlike the standard systems used at typical laser tag arenas, iTager cuts the cable between weapon and hit sensor so that you can move with absolute freedom. Settings can be changed remotely, too, via the integrated Wi-Fi and MESH networks, for either individual players or the entire team.
It’s a ground-up reimagining and re-engineering of laser tag replete with fully-wireless, remote-controllable systems that work in all weather conditions over a whopping 2,500 ft (760 m) and that can easily be mounted onto existing laser tag weapons (or even your hand or a bicycle) or purchased preinstalled on rifles the creators made themselves.
“During the last five years we have been collecting, improving, and experimenting with commercial laser tag equipment and learning their weak points,” says lead developer Alexander Palamarchuk. They sought to overcome these constraints in areas such as range, accuracy, reliability, and damage resistance, and have now assembled five working prototypes that have been successfully tested outdoors in the team’s native Russia.
Alexander is currently running a Kickstarter campaign for iTager, seeking US$30,000 in pledges to fund a production run and additional testing and enhancements. A basic DIY set of the hit sensor and the system on a motherboard will set you back US$120, while the rifle/sensor combo starts at $360 and a 10-piece set of hit sensors and rifles costs US$3,450. If successful, the iTager team expects to ship in April.
Source: Kickstarter