Toy racers get a modern twist with AI

The slot-car racing games of the 1980s are being revisited with a modern twist.

San Francisco start-up Anki is releasing a new type of gaming concept, which fuses real-world robotics with the artificial intelligence made possible by smartphones.

A smartphone app wirelessly communicates with toy cars, equipped with cameras and sensors to help them beat human competitors.

The start-up has already received $50m (£31m) of venture capital for what it sees as a new area of consumer entertainment to exploit. But is the $200 (£125) racer a game-changer?

The BBC's's North America technology correspondent Richard Taylor went along to Anki HQ to find out.

You can follow Richard on Twitter @RichTaylorBBC.