Orbotix Sphero 2B, unveiled at CES 2014, is super fast and uber cool. The new version of the company's original Sphero robot is a cylindrical toy that can zip around very fast on its pair of wheels.
The robot can be remote-controlled via Bluetooth 4.0 using a mobile app installed on either an Apple or Android device. When it hits the shelves, it is expected to have a tag price of $99, cheaper than its older Sphero 2.0 sibling that sells for $130. The robot can blast to a speed of 14 feet a second and do tight turns.
According to its promo page, the 2B can do high-speed tricks and is agile enough to jump and tumble. The maker attribute the slick tricks it can do to its tubular design and lightweight polycarbonate architecture that comes in black or white. One can also customize the toy's wheels, order accessories for it, interact with other Sphero 2B in interactive games, and program the robot to do many other things.
"The magic of robotics is really fascinating. We are making robotics affordable. No one can afford a $10,000 humanoid robot," said Orbotix CEO Paul Berberian. "This is an emerging category of digital toys, and it's not going away. We were overwhelmed with how successful it was and realized we were on to something," Berberian added, referring to the success of the Sphero and Sphero 2.0 that helped the company's revenue jump to over $10 million to date.
Orbotix has also introduced new apps at CES 2014 to make sure users will not get bored driving their Spheros around. The list includes Sphero Studio that will allow owners to make a film starring their robots superimposed with animated characters.
