8/9/2023 0 Comments Sphero mini ball![]() Following the success of that robot, Sphero also created a model of R2-D2 and Lightning McQueen. In 2015, Sphero struck a licensing deal with Disney to create a BB-8 robot based on the Star Wars: The Force Awakens film. A remastered version, the Sphero 2.0, was launched in August 2013. Their first product, the Sphero, is a white spherical robot launched in December 2011 capable of rolling around under the control of a smartphone or tablet. (formerly Orbotix) is an American consumer robotics and toy company based in Boulder, Colorado. No, none of the games are very original, but together with the coding side of it there’s enough to keep you occupied here for ages.Sphero, Inc. I’m particularly partial to Exile II: a spaceship game where you have to shoot missiles on to falling rocks, much like an ’80s arcade game. Although there are only three games, so far, they’re all fun to use. Here, the tables turn and you use the actual ball as the control in your hand as you tilt it to correspond with the on-screen action. The games give the Sphero Mini added panache, because being cute can only get you so far. Little by little, you can become the ultimate Sphero Mini boss. There’s even the ability to program it using JavaScript. It begins with the basics: move, set speeds, alter hues of lights in sequences, loop actions, etc. Which is exactly what the doctor ordered. The main incentive to do this, is that it seems to give you more control over the the Mini. You can simply draw a path for the ‘bot to follow or start using the code blocks to learn more advanced logic. If you want to get to grips with the basics of coding then there’s the Sphero Edu app which is really straightforward to use, even for someone who knows very little about coding (me). It’s clear and colourful, much like the ball itself. The dedicated Sphero Mini app is beautifully designed. There’s no way of slowing the speed down on the Mini app, but it is possible to do this on the separate, standalone Sphero Edu app. It travels 2.2 miles per hour, which is fast for something so dinky. ‘Slingshot’ also does what you want it to do – just not necessarily in the right direction. Not all of the driving modes are quite as erratic I found ‘Tilt’ to be the safest option, partly because the Mini seemed to respond better to my controls and partly because it has a pause button which you can use just before it shoots under someone’s foot. ![]() And with its plastic exterior casing, that’s a dangerous place for the Sphero Mini to be. Testing it out in our office, it shot off to the other side of the room, lodged itself in a corner, and spun on the spot behind the recycling bins. But you know what? That’s OK, because this isn’t a Grand Prix and look how small and cute and colourful it is! Whichever you’re using, the Mini darts around the floor like a blind ferret chasing a wild vole. Sadly, there’s a common theme which runs through all these modes: they don’t play ball. And finally there’s ‘Face Drive’ – smile and the Mini goes one way, frown and it bolts in the other direction. Pull down the blob on the app and watch as your Sphero Mini whooshes forward. ‘Slingshot’ is where you can really have some fun. There’s also ‘Tilt’ mode, which responds to the way you tilt your phone. ‘Joystick’ is the simplest, allowing you to guide an onscreen blob in whichever direction you want the ball to go in. There are four different driving modes to choose from. I wouldn’t even sneeze anywhere near them. The accessories are all lightweight, which means it can be a bit fiddly to set up your courses the slightest bit of wind and you’ll have to start over again. Alternatively set them up using some additional tiny traffic cones in an obstacle course. The bowling pins can be used for a game of bowling in ‘sling shot mode’. Inside the box you get a microUSB cable for charging it, some brightly coloured tiny bowling pins and some equally small orange traffic cones. The light is mainly blue and then will just randomly flash other colours as it darts around the place, but if you navigate through the settings there’s a whole spectrum of hues to choose from. Once removed, you see the cool stuff – the motors, LEDS and gyroscopes. The plastic shell comes in 5 colours: blue, green, orange, pink and white. Get it in your hands, though, and it feels very light and plasticky, somewhat like a Kinder Egg surprise toy. It comes in a lovely display case and arrives looking somehow poised on its little plastic podium, with the gravitas of a precious museum artefact. DESIGN: There is a light that never goes outĪs its name might suggest, the Sphero Mini is small.
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