Sphero, from Orbotix, It is what is equivalent to a remote-controlled white ball. It’s white, plastic, and fun, but unfortunately it’s also expensive.
When I first saw Sphero advertised, I resigned myself to buying one, maybe two, regardless of the cost. Of course, at that point I was expecting around $60, maybe $75. When the opportunity to pre-order finally arose, the cost was $130. Maybe two would be more fun, but I couldn’t bring myself to drop that kind of coin on a new toy.
Now, with its amazing price you will get some interesting technologies. Connects to iOS or Android devices via Bluetooth for remote control. The charging base is inductive so the ball can remain completely sealed. There are 5 apps, but only two of them go beyond the basic remote control. And finally it has an RGB LED that allows it to change color. Even with all that, I can’t help but think this could have been produced and sold for half the price.
All that said, the Sphero feels solid and attaches well to the charging station. The blue light flashes at first and then lights steadily to indicate a full charge.
Pairing your device to your phone is as easy as pairing a pair of Bluetooth headphones. In fact, on my Android phone it looks like an audio device, just like my headphones or my car stereo.
Driving the Sphero takes a little practice, but it didn’t take me long to race it through the hallways at work and dodge obstacles. It turned out that it had a knack for getting stuck under chairs, so I put it on the charger for the rest of the day.
That night at home it turned out to be a fantastic cat toy. That is, once cats stop being afraid of him. The game of golf was fun, but a little frustrating when you didn’t have the ball or phone oriented correctly. He would go through the motions of putting, only for the ball to go in the wrong direction.
Sphero provides an API for iOS and Android developers, but as far as I know, there is no way to download code to the robot to make it run autonomously. I haven’t had time to delve into the API yet and a quick scan of the developer forum indicates that not many people have. I’ll be sure to post another article if I manage to write something interesting.
