A prototype is a preliminary model of something. Projects that offer physical products need to show backers documentation of a working prototype. This gallery features photos, videos, and other visual documentation that will give backers a sense of what’s been accomplished so far and what’s left to do. Though the development process can vary for each project, these are the stages we typically see:
Proof of Concept
Explorations that test ideas and functionality.
Functional Prototype
Demonstrates the functionality of the final product, but looks different.
Appearance Prototype
Looks like the final product, but is not functional.
Design Prototype
Appearance and function match the final product, but is made with different manufacturing methods.
Production Prototype
Appearance, function, and manufacturing methods match the final product.
Prototype Gallery
These photos and videos provide a detailed look at this project’s development.
Within the 3D bricks there are two new COMO® bricks with 4 arms:
this is the second new part: a COMO® brick with 4 arms
Your child can build lots of animals for a toy zoo for instance: there are ideas for a horse (as shown in our video), a giraffe, a lobster and many more movable animals. It is a lot of fun to move the legs, the head or other parts of the animals. For the first time it is possible to build movable models using standard bricks. The moving of parts of the animals enhances the understanding of bodies in your child's brain. That's why the bricks have a great educational effect on your child.
The best thing is if you and your child build according to your own ideas. COMO® stands for COmbine and MOdify, i.e. for building according to your own ideas.
Furthermore, we have the 3D COMO® brick of ideas that has six sides for building on. Again, it is easy to build animals: a mouse, a bird, a dinosaur or dino, a cat, a fly and other funny animals. The 3D bricks enhance spatial thinking in your child's brain.
Of course, you and your child can build many other things using COMO® bricks: flowers, air planes, people etc.
We already tested all bricks in chemical tests and we have the certificates that are necessary for selling. Our bricks fulfill the high safety standards of toy production.
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That is me, Frank:
I have two sons aged 12 and 17. I used to play a lot with Lego® clone bricks when I was a child. I played with my first son many weekends using DUPLO format bricks and Lego® bricks later. Both of us had the idea to "invent" a brick that has 6 sides for building on. My second son already used the new COMO® bricks of ideas for building figures and models inspired by famous movies.
Hi, this is Frank.
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How many tries have been necessary?
-> first idea in 2010 was using glue to make a brick of ideas made of six or eight normal bricks. This was not so bad but very expensive and time-consuming.
-> second idea in 2014 was to use TESA® tape that is adhesive on both sides. This was really crazy! But not for long.
-> third idea in 2014 was to use a 3D printer for printing COMO® bricks. This worked good but it was too slow.
-> fourth idea in 2015 was to make molds - after a few tries and two years later we had very good results.
Here you can watch a video that shows the molding of three pairs of COMO® bricks - it is amazing!!!
Note that the COMO® parts are black so it is difficult to see them falling out of the mold - but you can hear it, three times. 6 parts are produced here. (in reality the machine works horizontally not vertically, sorry for that)
Make sure that your speaker is not too loud before playing the video! Take care of your and your child's ears.
Replay with sound
Play with sound
The molds were produced in China. However, the COMO® parts are produced in Germany.
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Details with regard to "compatibility":
BUGGI® DUPLO Bricks and COMO® DUPLO plates with holes are fully compatible with LEGO® DUPLO.
However, the "arms" of the COMO® DUPLO bricks with four arms do not perfectly fit to all LEGO® DUPLO. There are for instance differences between old LEGO® DUPLO and new LEGO® DUPLO with regard to the inner diameters of the three hollow cylinders at the bottom of a brick. The inner diameters may also vary for different colors of LEGO® DUPLO.
For about two years, we have been optimized the COMO® bricks with four arms with great effort and care to the inner diameters of the hollow cylinders of BUGGI® DUPLO bricks. The accuracy of the machines for producing the molds for the COMO® bricks was 10 micron (!!!), i.e. a tenth of the diameter of a human hair. There is perfect fitting force between COMO® bricks with arms and BUGGI® bricks in a COMO® brick of ideas that comprises 8 BUGGI bricks and 2 COMO bricks with 4 arms each. The COMO® brick of ideas may be easily build together. It is also very easy to demount the brick after playing.
Therefore, we recommend using BUGGI® DUPLO. However, there are good chances that your LEGO® DUPLO may be also used – but you have to try.
We sell COMO® bricks with for arms without BUGGI® bricks only then if the buyer has had the possibility to test if there is a good fitting between the COMO® bricks with for arms and with their LEGO® DUPLO bricks.
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What is your pledge used for?
or
Why it is good to buy a Christmas tree in May in this year?
This is what you get for your pledge of USD 60 (EUR 50):
Your pledge is part of the second phase of our project.
The very long first phase was the development of a couple of product prototypes for new toy bricks in both brick formats. We also developed the marketing concept and have presented our products twice at the international toy fair in Germany. We have financed the first phase with our own money and within three years. Therefore, you will have no risks resulting from prototypes.
The second phase is the step into the market, i.e. the most important and the most difficult task. Thanks in advance to everyone who enables us this step by giving a pledge on Kickstarter. It will be an honor for us to deliver you high-quality COMO® and COMO®+ products in reward. We can produce the first 500 sets in a cost-effective manner because you have made your pledge.
In the third phase we plan to scale it up. This may also allow the realization of some more of our ideas for new bricks. We will keep you informed on kickstarter round 2.
We are aware that there is already a very big brand in the toy brick market. We also love their bricks.
However, it is challenging for us to let our light shine next to this really big brand. We are convinced that our COMO(R) and COMO+(R) product lines make this possible.
We have already delivered COMO(R) sets to kindergartens in Germany where we could see that our dream can come true.
You will get one COMO(R) Christmas tree big in reward.
This set comprises 80 pieces:
8 COMO(R) bricks with four arms,
5 COMO(R) plates with holes,
48 BUGGI(R) bricks with 2 by 4 studs, and
20 BUGGI(R) bricks with 2 by 2 studs.
