Summary:
Square Off is a completely automated device which enables the user to play chess against a computer and even against a human opponent present at any place in the world via the internet on a physical board.
Novelty and Usefulness:
The idea is about not being conventional but to enhance the innovative approach towards man and machine interaction. It gives us a glimpse of the future of electronics technology which will be completely interactive and automated. It’s an attempt to make board games interactive. It retains the physical feel of chess, which we do not get while playing on software. Now even blind people can play chess against a computer or a friend who is sitting in some other corner of the world on a physical board which was not possible before. It is a plug n play portable board which gives an enhanced user experience.
Description of Innovation:
With the technology moving a step forward, the world now prefers an interactive and real platform instead of stand-alone software’s. For years board games have been played and hold a special importance in the society. Automating one such board game, ’Chess’ opens up a different avenue of implementing fiction into the reality of board games. Chess Automated has three levels of dexterity:
1. Man vs Machine
2. Player vs Distant online opponent
Chess Automated is an Interactive chessboard by which any person can play the game of chess on a physical board with the opponent's move completely automated. You can imagine this like the opponent's chess piece actually moving forward on the board to represent the moves played by the opponent.
Artificial Intelligence: The computer would choose the best possible move (according to the difficulty level set by the user) for every move played by the user and would automatically play its move by dragging the chess piece over the board.
On-line Game play: This feature enables two users sitting at different locations to play the game of chess via the internet, with the moves happening in real time on their respective physical chess boards. Also, one can connect the board to the internet while the opponent is playing on a GUI on our Android App using any Android Smartphone.
Also supporting a social cause, the board enables blind to play against the computer. It includes magnetic Braille pieces, Braille coordinates, voice recaps of every move and textural contrasts between white and black spaces. The combination of all these factors allows the game to be utilized by those who suffer from visual impairments. This makes our project One of a Kind and it is entirely developed from scratch.
Applications:
Training people to play chess, Cross country tournaments, Chess games can be recorded and be viewed live online. Reversely, Live tournaments can be viewed on the physical Boards instead of GUI / TV
Also, our target customers are chain of Hotels, Airport lounges, Cafes, International Schools, Yachts, Cruise, Aircrafts, etc.
Square Off is a completely automated device which enables the user to play chess against a computer and even against a human opponent present at any place in the world via the internet on a physical board.
Novelty and Usefulness:
The idea is about not being conventional but to enhance the innovative approach towards man and machine interaction. It gives us a glimpse of the future of electronics technology which will be completely interactive and automated. It’s an attempt to make board games interactive. It retains the physical feel of chess, which we do not get while playing on software. Now even blind people can play chess against a computer or a friend who is sitting in some other corner of the world on a physical board which was not possible before. It is a plug n play portable board which gives an enhanced user experience.
Description of Innovation:
With the technology moving a step forward, the world now prefers an interactive and real platform instead of stand-alone software’s. For years board games have been played and hold a special importance in the society. Automating one such board game, ’Chess’ opens up a different avenue of implementing fiction into the reality of board games. Chess Automated has three levels of dexterity:
1. Man vs Machine
2. Player vs Distant online opponent
Chess Automated is an Interactive chessboard by which any person can play the game of chess on a physical board with the opponent's move completely automated. You can imagine this like the opponent's chess piece actually moving forward on the board to represent the moves played by the opponent.
Artificial Intelligence: The computer would choose the best possible move (according to the difficulty level set by the user) for every move played by the user and would automatically play its move by dragging the chess piece over the board.
On-line Game play: This feature enables two users sitting at different locations to play the game of chess via the internet, with the moves happening in real time on their respective physical chess boards. Also, one can connect the board to the internet while the opponent is playing on a GUI on our Android App using any Android Smartphone.
Also supporting a social cause, the board enables blind to play against the computer. It includes magnetic Braille pieces, Braille coordinates, voice recaps of every move and textural contrasts between white and black spaces. The combination of all these factors allows the game to be utilized by those who suffer from visual impairments. This makes our project One of a Kind and it is entirely developed from scratch.
Applications:
Training people to play chess, Cross country tournaments, Chess games can be recorded and be viewed live online. Reversely, Live tournaments can be viewed on the physical Boards instead of GUI / TV
Also, our target customers are chain of Hotels, Airport lounges, Cafes, International Schools, Yachts, Cruise, Aircrafts, etc.
Location: United States, Delaware, Newark
Total raised: $1.1M
Founded date: 2010
Investors 1
| Date | Name | Website |
| - | Desai Vent... | desaiventu... |
Funding Rounds 1
| Date | Series | Amount | Investors |
| - | - | $1.1M | - |
Mentions in press and media 9
| Date | Title | Description |
| 08.11.2022 | A Chess Board That Lets You Challenge Anyone in the World! | David Thompson, Tech Times 08 November 2022, 10:11 am (Photo : Square Off) It's easier than ever to connect with players across the globe through Square Off's advanced programming-induced chess gaming boards. Some 10 to 15 years back, could... |
| 06.10.2022 | Miko Expands Consumer Robotics Portfolio With Square Off Acquisition | Miko, a global leader in AI robots for kids, has acquired a majority stake in Square Off, a startup known for AI-driven automated board games. “AI is the future of play, and Square Off’s innovation has transformed how players young and old ... |
| 18.01.2021 | Square Off Announces New Products, Delivery Plans at CES 2021 | Mark B., Tech Times 18 January 2021, 10:01 pm Square Off, creators of "the world's smartest chessboard," has announced its latest products at the all-digital CES 2021, including the world's first-ever rollable chess computer. The ... |
| 05.06.2020 | The Square Off robotic chess board gets a video calling component for remote games | The Square Off robotic chess board was already a great device for these times. The system makes it possible to play a solo game using 20 different degrees of difficulty or challenge someone remotely through chess.com. I met with the Mumbai-... |
| 15.10.2019 | Square Off launches Kickstarter campaign for AI-based connected chess boards | Square Off is moving connected board games further today with the launch of a Kickstarter campaign for its Square Off Neo chess board and the Square Off SwapBoard. The new products will offer machine learning and personalized coaching. “Our... |
| 15.10.2019 | Square Off launches Kickstarter campaign for AI-based connected chess boards | Did you miss a session from GamesBeat Summit 2022? All sessions are available to stream now. Learn more. Square Off is moving connected board games further today with the launch of a Kickstarter campaign for its Square Off Neo chess board a... |
| 15.01.2019 | The Square Off chess board melds the classical with the robotic | CES crowds can be tough — especially toward the end of the week. You’re physically and emotionally drained, and you’re pretty sure you’ve seen everything the consumer electronics world has to offer. And then something comes along to knock y... |
| 09.01.2019 | See you tonight in Vegas | We will be holding a small event during CES in Las Vegas and we want to see you! We’re looking to meet some cool hardware and crypto startups, so the good folks at Work In Progress have opened up their space to us and 200 of you all to hold... |
| - | Exclusive: Square Off Checkmates Old-Style Chess With Its AI Moves, Raises $1.1 Mn | “Play the opening like a book, the middlegame like a magician, and the endgame like a machine.” – Rudolph Spielmann, an Austrian-Jewish chess player. AI-based automated chessboard maker Square Off seems to have earned its inspiration from H... |