Lego has revealed its latest innovation at CES, introducing the Smart Play system that brings interactivity to traditional building blocks. The system includes Smart Bricks, Smart Tag tiles, and Smart Minifigures that respond to nearby Smart Tags, triggering specific actions such as lighting up or making sounds based on the digital instructions embedded in the tags.
Powered by a custom ASIC chip smaller than a single Lego stud, the Smart Bricks incorporate an accelerometer, miniature speaker, and LED array, enabling dynamic responses to user interactions. Additionally, Lego developed a proprietary Bluetooth protocol called BrickNet to facilitate communication between Smart Bricks, ensuring synchronized operation.
With no need for screen involvement, the Smart Play system offers a screen-free play experience for children, enhancing creativity and tactile learning. Lego emphasizes the user-friendly setup, making it accessible for young users to start building and playing immediately.
Lego’s upcoming Star Wars-themed Smart Play sets, like ‘Luke’s Red Five X-wing’ and ‘Throne Room Duel and A-wing,’ showcase the system’s capabilities and will be available for purchase soon, catering to tech-savvy Lego enthusiasts.
Source: TechCrunch