New Star Wars Droid Rolls Into Toy Form
With a new movie on the way, it’s only a matter of time before the world gets swept up in Star Wars fever — if it hasn’t already. Trailers and visuals have made a strong case already, with the rolling droid BB-8 well among them. Now eager fans are in luck, because the droid is making the leap from the silver screen to the palms of their hands.
To be fair, BB-8’s design played right into the wheelhouse of robotics company Sphero; several of their spherical robots are already on the market. Having figured out how to attach its head — since a droid with hovering parts is unfeasible for now — Sphero is ready to send their latest products to toy stores. It’s worth noting that they are toys, given that they’re the size of tennis balls; a life-size model would have broken more than a few banks.
Still, Sphero’s take on BB-8 still has some tricks to its name; like their other robots, it’s controllable via smartphone, and it can express some emotions if the chance arises — especially if “it’s a trap” gets shouted in its presence. It may not be able to repair any spacecraft, but Sphero’s latest is still bridging the gap between movies and reality.
