Type spherical robot Availability 2010–present | Country United States | |
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Inventor Ian Bernstein, Adam Wilson Company Sphero (previously Orbotix) | ||
Sphero is a spherical robot toy designed by Sphero, previously Orbotix. It is a white orb wrapped in polycarbonate plastic, capable of rolling around, and controlled by a smartphone or tablet. There are two versions of the Sphero (1.0 and 2.0). The company also makes the BB-8 toy robot based on the droid from Star Wars: The Force Awakens as well as a cylindrical toy called the Ollie, and SPRK, an essential for academics for its transparent design.
Contents
History
Sphero was initially prototyped by its inventors, Ian Bernstein and Adam Wilson, with a 3D-printed shell and electronics taken from a smartphone. It was then demonstrated in CES 2011. A newer version of Sphero, Sphero 2.0, was launched by Orbotix in 2013, two years after the initial release. The next version, Sphero Ollie (originally named Sphero 2B), was introduced in CES 2014 and became available as of September 15, 2014.
In July 2014, while participating in Disney's technology accelerator program for startups, Sphero's staff were invited into a private meeting with Disney CEO Bob Iger, who showed them then-unseen photos from the production of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and images of BB-8—a spherical droid character introduced in the film, and were offered a licensing deal to produce an official BB-8 toy based on Sphero's technology. Disney also made a minority investment in Sphero. The BB-8 toy was released on September 4, 2015; it is accompanied by a special Star Wars-themed control app, which also features augmented reality "holographic" messages.
Operation
The toys are controlled with a smartphone or tablet running iOS, Android or Windows Phone via Bluetooth, and wirelessly charged with a charging base. Since they have an accelerometer and a gyroscope, it can also be used as a controller for games on iOS and Android platforms. Several apps and games have been developed for the platform.
Users can program the toy with an app called Sphero Macrolab which includes a set of predefined macros, and orbBasic which uses a BASIC-based language.
It should be noted that, unlike its other two Orbotix brethren, the Ollie and BB-8 version, Sphero is completely self-contained and sealed. It can operate and has been operated well in water, with mixed Bluetooth connectivity when in freezing water, as shown in one icy winter test. However, taking the head off of the BB-8 makes it water proof. There are also "nubby" covers sold that increase traction/durability, with only somewhat improved operation through water.
Ollie
Named after the Ollie Skateboard Trick, the Ollie is not as much meant for learning as just doing tricks. Originally going to be called the Sphero 2b and have clear middles, the 2 wheeled robots now have a non-transparent middle with the Sphero logo being semi-transparent also with lines following backward that can be lit by RGB LEDs so that it can show any color. The Sphero company claims that it can reach 15 mph. Unlike all the other Sphero toys, instead of being inductively charged, it is charged by a Micro USB on the back. It comes in two models, the normal (white with choice of color wheels) or dark side (all black). Unlike the normal where it comes with only 1 pair of tires and 1 pair of hub caps, the dark side comes with black turbo tires, black nubby tires, and 2 types of hub caps (both black).
BB-8
From licensing from Disney/Lucas Film (see history), Sphero made a Robot that models a droid from the Star Wars Force Awakens Film that is orange with white. The BB-8 robot is basically the same as a Sphero 2.0 with a magnetic head on top. It also has special features such as the augmented reality holograms. The head can be taken off.
SPRK
A Sphero 2.0 but clear and marked for learning.
Sphero 1.0 and Sphero 2.0
- Nubby Cover (Comes in Adventure Orange, Sphero Blue, and Cyber Yellow) (When first released, there was limited time Ninja Black, and Party Pink)
- Turbo Cover (Comes in Carbon, Teal, Red and Clear)
- Chariot (Black, Blue, and Yellow)
- Jumps (Orange)
- Terrain Park (Blue)
Ollie
- Jumps (Orange)
- Terrain Park (Blue)
- Hubcaps
- Wheels
- Spine Ramp (Gray, Black)
Website
Orbotix started out with making their website http://gosphero.com but later changed it to https://sphero.com. Going to http://gosphero.com now redirects to https://sphero.com.
Hardware
Sphero is a white orb that weighs 0.37 pounds (170 g). The processor on board is a 75 MHz ARM Cortex M4. It has two 350 mAh LiPo batteries, and also an accelerometer and a gyroscope. Bluetooth is used for communication and for power Inductive charging.
Mechanically the inventors compare the inside mechanics of the ball to a two-wheel electric vehicle such as the Segway PT.
Software
Sphero's firmware is updated automatically with the official app. An SDK is also available, making it possible to develop applications that can interact with the ball. Unofficial SDKs are also available for other devices and platforms, such as Robot Operating System.
Reception
The toy received mixed to positive reviews from critics. The critics praised the toy for its functionality and speed, but it was criticized for the high price and short battery life (one hour per three hours of recharge). One YouTube reviewer of the product recently stated the product, after 3 years of use, has a charge loss of about five minutes, making for 55 minutes of use after being fully recharged. The Sphero 2.0 was awarded third Best Smart Product of 2015 according to Wellbots Top 25 Smart Products Ranking of 2015.
Sales
The company hasn't released sales figures of the toy, but announced that the shipment of the first batch of the toys would be delayed due to high demand. However, the pre-ordered Spheros shipped out normally at last.