An independent developer has unveiled Figment, an experimental handheld console with a 7.5-inch E Ink display from Waveshare designed to play interactive adventure books.
Image source: Figment
Figment is an independent project that was released after the Ink Console crowdfunding campaign was cancelled. The Ink Console crowdfunding campaign was cancelled after another team continued developing the device. The console features a horizontal 7.5-inch E Ink display. There are three action buttons on the right side of the display, and four buttons on the left, arranged in the form of a D-pad. The body of the device is made using 3D printing and laser cutting technologies.
Figment’s hardware is based on an ESP32 microcontroller, which controls the device and maintains a Wi-Fi connection. AI-powered text and image generation requires a constant internet connection, as AI models cannot run directly on the console.
The Figment game engine combines pre-written books with AI capabilities to supplement game paths that were not defined by the authors. The AI generates text fragments and images for stories that are not present in the source materials. Once generated, the new content is saved to the local memory of the device, allowing access to it offline.
In the future, the Figment hardware and software may be made open source. The developer plans to publish updates on the project’s official website, where users can sign up for notifications to learn about further developments, including the possible release of a finished device or the publication of design documentation.