Osmo combines iPad app and toy cars with Hot Wheels MindRacers game

Osmo has made its name creating augmented reality iPad games for children, and today the Silicon Valley company is launching the result of its collaboration with Mattel: the Hot Wheels MindRacers AR racing game that lets you combine physical toy cars with an iPad app.

The combination is the latest hybrid of games and toys in an effort to reach a new generation of kids who are more inclined than ever to choose digital playthings over physical ones. Mattel joined a $24 million investment round in December, and Palo Alto, California-based Osmo embarked on design of a new kind of game based on the 49-year-old Hot Wheels brand name. This is the first collaboration between Silicon Valley’s Osmo and a major toy brand.