One of the most exciting features of our Harry Potter fantasies is about to become a reality. While you won't be able to visit Ollivanders to choose yours (you need to head to Orlando for that), some enterprising Potter fans are Kickstarting a wand that would let you virtually duel friends and foes in real life. Expelliarmus!
The Maguss Wand kit, which pre-orders for $66, is comprised of a wand, a mobile app, and a receiver badge. The wand houses a motion sensor and an infrared LED, the badge hides an IR receiver, and the app interprets and keeps track of the spells you cast — so you can see whether you or your opponent has won the duel.
By playing (and winning), you can level up, gaining access to more spells. You can also play in "practice" mode or in "simple game" mode if you're not up for a full-on battle. The wand can handle a mix of attacking, defending, and supporting spells.
It's unclear whether the wand will face any sort of copyright issues with Warner Bros. While the gadget is obviously inspired by and styled in the Harry Potter-movie way, its Kickstarter description never once mentions the franchise. Plus, the spells it suggests — such as "laccio," "tsunamio," and "crenna" — don't ring a bell within our embarrassingly extensive knowledge of the Potter universe (but please correct us if we're wrong). Still, since the wand only tracks movements, and not which spell you shout out, it's entirely feasible that you and your friends could swap out the app's spell list with your own (or Harry Potter's) version.
This is still a very early Kickstarter campaign, and it's unclear how well this magic wand will work in the real world. But, even if it didn't function perfectly, it would still make a wonderful addition to your Harry Potter memorabilia collection.
Mischief managed.
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