Sphero the smartphone controlled ball gets able to roll out, we go hands-on (video)

The plucky little white ball that first rolled its way into our hearts back at CES is back, and now it’s on the brink of continue its journey onto store shelves. Sphero is a bit plasticLED-lit orb that may be controlled using quite a few smartphone applications. The toy’s makers want to seek advice from it as a “real-world Wii,” letting users control it either via a phone’s touchscreen or with gestures, using the handset’s accelerometer. The ball itself is palm-sized — it looks like an average toy ball, until you give it slightly a shake, feeling its insides jiggle.

At the moment, the corporate is showcasing three apps — one for traditional driving in real-time, person who lets the user draw paths with their fingers and a 3rd “golf” app, that gives the main Wii-like interaction, with the user swinging their smartphone like a club to head the ball. The apps are straightforward and allow you to change Sphero’s color. All in all, the corporate seems to have come a long way since first showcasing earlier prototypes back in January. That you may expect to determine Sphero start shipping before the tip of the year, for $129 a pop. It is going to be compatible with both iOS and Android. We hand fun with the article, but who knows how long it’ll take to fall ill of it. Thankfully, it can launch with three to 6 apps, with more coming soon. Hands-on video after the break.

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This post is tagged: accelerometer, interaction, prototypes, store shelves, touchscreen