Q1: What underlying technology does Move rely on for its operation?We’ve implemented advanced micro-robotics technology to power piece movement on the chessboard. Each piece’s base functions as a miniature robot, equipped with our proprietary Advanced Full Piece Recognition Technology (AFPR) for precise identity and position recognition. Position recognition has been upgraded from previous grid-based detection to precise identification in millimeter units. This innovative design enables efficient simultaneous movement of multiple pieces while ensuring exceptional reliability and stability. The internal structure of these tiny robots has been custom-designed to enhance durability and optimize performance on the chessboard. Additionally, our carefully crafted path-planning algorithm manages the movement and scheduling of each piece seamlessly.
Q2: What about the piece base? They are not very aesthetically pleasing.Due to natural color variations in wood, we use metallic spray paint in this color for the wooden piece sets, which helps to better integrate with both wood-colored and ebonized pieces. For the plastic piece sets, we use an integrated design, providing a stronger sense of unity and allowing users to choose according to their preferences. The wheels are visible from the bottom, but we’ve designed them to blend seamlessly with the player’s experience. The feel of manually moving the pieces is almost identical to that of regular chess pieces. From the side, the wheels are mostly hidden and only protrude about 1mm from the bottom.
Q3: Does it support FEN/PGN setups?Yes, Move supports FEN for setting up positions. You can quickly and accurately restore saved board states and reproduce previous positions. Additionally, you can import PGN for board playback and analysis.
Q4: Does it support voice commands?Yes, Chessnut Move is equipped with a built-in processor and internal engine, allowing basic voice commands and offline bot games. For more advanced commands, connecting it to the Chessnut app will unlock its full potential.
Q5: Why do the pieces sometimes experience collisions and delays in your demo videos?We’ve designed a path-planning algorithm for Chessnut Move to handle piece scheduling. While it may appear clumsy at times, this is often the calculated optimal solution. We will continue refining the algorithm to improve efficiency. Minor issues may occur occasionally, but with continued development, they will become much less frequent in the final version.
Q6: Does it support games with shorter time controls? Usually, robotic chess boards are quite slow in their movements.Move features 10Hz high-frequency positioning, 0.1-second fast command response, and efficient simultaneous movement of multiple pieces, ensuring smooth gameplay along with system stability and reliability. This allows Move to achieve an average move time of around 3 seconds, minimizing time loss typically associated with electronic chessboards and enabling gameplay even in short time control games.
Q7: How many pieces can move simultaneously?Theoretically, all pieces can move at once. However, depending on the complexity of the position, the algorithm may schedule some movements in batches to ensure optimal performance.
Q8: Is the product shown in the demo video the final version? Will there be any further adjustments?Move shown in the demo video is a working prototype. The chess piece robots currently displayed are made using 3D printing, so there may be some issues, such as uneven movement paths or recognition errors. In January, we plan to produce a few dozen test samples using trial molds to send to YouTube influencers for reviews and feedback. Based on this feedback, we will make minor improvements for the final mass-production version. Overall, the technical approach is already finalized. there won’t be significant changes, and the final performance will only improve compared to the current prototype.