Sphero

Sphero

A Sphero ball on the base
Type spherical robot
Inventor Ian Bernstein, Adam Wilson[1]
Company Sphero (previously Orbotix)[1][2]
Country United States[2]
Availability 2010[2][3][4]–present
Official website

Sphero is a spherical robot toy designed by Sphero, previously Orbotix.[4][5][6] It is a white orb wrapped in polycarbonate plastic, capable of rolling around, and controlled by a smartphone or tablet.[5] 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.

History

Sphero was initially prototyped by its inventors, Ian Bernstein and Adam Wilson, with a 3D-printed shell and electronics taken from a smartphone.[1] It was then demonstrated in CES 2011.[7][8] A newer version of Sphero, Sphero 2.0, was launched by Orbotix in 2013, two years after the initial release.[9][10] The next version, Sphero Ollie (originally named Sphero 2B),[11] was introduced in CES 2014 and became available as of September 15, 2014.[12][13]

In July 2014, whilst 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.[14][15]

Operation

The toy is controlled with a smartphone or tablet running iOS, Android or Windows Phone via Bluetooth, and wirelessly charged with a charging base.[5][16] Since it has an accelerometer and a gyroscope, it can also be used as a controller for games on iOS and Android platforms.[16][17] Several apps and games have been developed for the platform.[5][16]

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.[18]

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. There are also "nubby" covers sold that increase traction/durability, with only somewhat improved operation through water.

Specifications

Hardware

Sphero is a white orb that weighs 0.37 pounds (170 g).[19] The processor on board is a 75 MHz ARM Cortex M4. It has two 350 mAh LiPo batteries, and also a accelerometer and a gyroscope. Bluetooth functionality is also available.[19][20]

Software

Sphero's firmware is updated automatically with the official app.[21] An SDK is also available, making it possible to develop applications that can interact with the ball.[16][22] Unofficial SDKs are also available for other devices and platforms, such as Robot Operating System.[23][24]

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).[9][25][26] 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.

Sales

The company hasn't released sales figures of the toy,[27] but announced that the shipment of the first batch of the toys would be delayed due to high demand.[28] However, the pre-ordered Spheros shipped out normally at last.[29]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Kimberly Weisul (May 28, 2013). "This Robotic Ball May Change Everything". Inc.
  2. 1 2 3 "Orbotix". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  3. ↑ Kadhim Shubber (August 14, 2013). "Sphero: the pet-tormenting RC ball that will help your kids program". Wired UK.
  4. 1 2 Michael Gorman (December 19, 2011). "Orbotix Sphero review". Engadget.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Harry McCracken (August 15, 2013). "Sphero 2.0 Is a More Heroic Robotic Ball". Time.
  6. ↑ Elizabeth Denham (September 19, 2013). "Robotic Play Teaches Kids Math and Programming". Huffington Post.
  7. ↑ Mike Schramm (January 8, 2011). "Hands-on with Sphero at the CES 2011". TUAW.
  8. ↑ Chris Velazco (September 14, 2011). "Sphero Sports New Body, Rolls Closer To Official Release". TechCrunch.
  9. 1 2 Brian Heater (August 14, 2013). "Sphero 2.0 rolls out at speeds 'slightly slower than a Lamborghini' (video)". Engadget.
  10. ↑ Jordan Crook (August 14, 2013). "Sphero 2.0 Is Twice As Fast, Agile, And Awesome". TechCrunch.
  11. ↑ "Sphero Ollie" (Press release). Orbotix. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
  12. ↑ Evan Ackerman (January 8, 2014). "CES 2014: Sphero 2B Robot Is Fast, Funky, and Fun". IEEE Spectrum.
  13. ↑ Andy Robertson (March 3, 2014). "New 'Sphero 2B' Robot Will Outrun You". Forbes.
  14. ↑ "The Story (And Tech) Behind That Awesome Star Wars BB-8 Toy". Wired. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  15. ↑ "Disney’s support for start-ups led to one new company winning a dream Star Wars contract". TheNational.ae. Retrieved 5 September 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Chelsea Stark (August 30, 2012). "Robotic Ball Sphero Rolls Gaming to a Whole New Level". Mashable.
  17. ↑ Eric Savitz (January 9, 2013). "CES: Hey, Sphero! Shall We Play A Game?". Forbes.
  18. ↑ Susie Ochs (August 21, 2013). "Review: Sphero 2.0 is a brighter, faster, smartphone-controlled ball of fun". Macworld.
  19. 1 2 "Orbotix Sphero". The Verge. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  20. ↑ "Tech Specs" (Press release). Orbotix. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  21. ↑ "Sphero App Update Based On Your Feedback" (Press release). Orbotix. Retrieved February 7, 2014.
  22. ↑ Russell Holly (May 10, 2011). "Orbotix releases the Sphero SDK at Google I/O". Geek.com.
  23. ↑ Evan Ackerman (August 14, 2013). "Orbotix Rolls Out Speedy Next-Gen Sphero". IEEE Spectrum.
  24. ↑ "Sphero Developer Center". Orbotix. Retrieved February 5, 2014.
  25. ↑ Rik Sharma (November 26, 2013). "Gadget of the week: Orbotix Sphero 2.0". Daily Mail.
  26. ↑ "Orbotix Sphero Review & Rating". PCMag. March 29, 2013.
  27. ↑ Mike Schramm (January 7, 2013). "CES Unveiled: Sphero reveals new apps to roll around in". TUAW.
  28. ↑ Amar Toor (December 9, 2011). "Sphero shipments delayed due to high demand, won't be here-o until January". Engadget.
  29. ↑ Brad McCarty (December 19, 2011). "TNW reviews the Sphero – Does the robotic ball live up to the hype?". The Next Web.

External links

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