Sphero, the robotic hamster ball controlled by your iOS or Android phone, has been on our radar for a while now but we’ve only ever caught glimpses of its early prototype designs. The final design looks like a pearl — or a blank Pokeball, whatevs.
This shell isn’t just for looks though. The folks at Orbotix chose the strongest polycarbonate they could find to provide maximum protection while still allowing the LED lights inside to shine through. Other new additions include a new feature to Sphero Golf — whereby you can swing your phone like a Wii controller and created the KittyCam App — whereby you can screw with your kitteh while simultaneously using your phone to record it.
The Sphero, as you may recall is a programmable robotic “hamster ball” controlled by your iOS or Android device through its Bluetooth connection. It can be controlled either directly through inputs from your smartphone’s touchscreen or controlled through the motion of your phone itself a la the Wii=mote. Also cool — induction charging.
Still no word on an actual release date but the price has been set at $US130 when it drops later this year.