Sphero

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Sphero 1.0/2.0
200px
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[7] and Adam Wilson, with a 3D-printed shell and electronics taken from a smartphone.[1] It was then demonstrated in CES 2011.[8][9] A newer version of Sphero, Sphero 2.0, was launched by Orbotix in 2013, two years after the initial release.[10][11] The next version, Sphero Ollie (originally named Sphero 2B),[12] was introduced in CES 2014 and became available as of September 15, 2014.[13][14]

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.[15][16]

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][17] Since it has an accelerometer and a gyroscope, it can also be used as a controller for games on iOS and Android platforms.[17][18] Several apps and games have been developed for the platform.[5][17]

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.[19]

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).[20] 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 is used for communication[20][21] and for power Inductive charging.[7]

Mechanically the inventors compare the inside mechanics of the ball to a two-wheel electric vehicle such as the Segway PT.[7]

Software

Sphero's firmware is updated automatically with the official app.[22] An SDK is also available, making it possible to develop applications that can interact with the ball.[17][23] Unofficial SDKs are also available for other devices and platforms, such as Robot Operating System.[24][25]

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).[10][26][27] 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,[28] but announced that the shipment of the first batch of the toys would be delayed due to high demand.[29] However, the pre-ordered Spheros shipped out normally at last.[30]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Ian Bernstein interviewed on the TV show Triangulation on the TWiT.tv network
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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