It's All Fun and Games With Speedy Sphero 2B Robot

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By Lance Ulanoff2014-01-10 23:04:12 UTC

LAS VEGAS — The problem with a lot of today's robots is that they're a little boring. Don't get me wrong. Cleaning windows, mopping floors and helping people conduct telepresence meetings is cool and important, but these tasks aren't intrinsically entertaining. I always thought our robot future would be fun. Thankfully, there are companies like Orbotix. Its smartphone- or tablet-controlled Sphero robot ball is all about fun and games (and, yes, learning).

Here at CES 2014 in Las Vegas, the company unveiled a new member of the Sphero family, the Sphero 2B. It's a tube-shaped robot, about the size of two Spheros side-by-side. Like the original, it has a polycarbonite body that houses a sophisticated collection of motors, LEDs, infrared so it can interact with other Sphero 2Bs, and low-power Bluetooth connectivity.

Orbotix takes advantage of the shape, equipping Sphero 2B with interchangeable wheels that move independently of each other. This lets the robot perform tricks and maneuvers virtually impossible with the ball-shaped Sphero.

I spent about 15 minutes using an Orbotix app on an iPad mini to drive Sphero 2B on a closed track. Traveling at up to 14 feet per second, Sphero 2B is twice as fast as the Sphero 2. The iPad interface is pretty easy to use; I did almost all the steering with my thumb on a virtual D-Pad. Sphero 2B went in whichever direction I pushed my thumb, the further I pushed, the faster it went. Quite intuitive.

I'm not sure Sphero 2B is more maneuverable than Sphero 2, but it clearly allows for more aggressive driving (I knocked more than a few Spheros halfway across the driving platform) and can perform some stunts that aren't possible with Sphero 2.

For example, Sphero 2B is capable of a wild spinning move, which I activated by hitting a special section of the app interface, and its speed often sent it flying through the air. As I got better at maneuvering the robot via the thumb-driven interface, I took repeated runs at curved vertical wall (similar to what you might see skateboarders riding up — if they were really tiny). Each time, I went higher and higher. It was quite a rush. Despite the power and speed, Orbotix representatives told me Sphero 2B will offer up to an hour of gameplay on a roughly two-hour charge.

Different wheels will help Sphero 2B perform different tricks: there are large rubber tires and then the much thinner plastic "rims" that allow for more skateboarder-like maneuvers. Not everything went smoothly. At one point I ran Sphero 2B into a metal edge and one of those thin wheels got stuck underneath it. Orbotix reps freed the robot from that jam, but then the little bot wasn't the same: one wheel was slightly off kilter and the robot couldn't pick up speed.

To be fair, I was driving a prototype. The final Sphero 2B doesn't arrive until the holidays when it should sell for just under $100 (accessories will be sold separately). Like all previous Spheros, 2B will be fully programmable via a free SDK. Overall, I found the Orbotix Sphero 2B impressive, addictive and, most importantly, fun.

You can learn more about Sphero 2B, Orbotix, and check out my driving in the video above.