We’ve already been gifted with the coolest Star Wars toy ever when Sphero created the tiny BB-8, but later this year you will have the opportunity to interact with the droid you call your own using the Force.
- Sphero has presented a companion wearable for tiny BB-8 droid at CES 2016
- The prototype wearable will replace the tablet or smartphone app
- Thanks to the many color-coded modes, the BB-8 can even move his head
Well, maybe not the Force per se, but thanks to the motion-tracked gestures, you are sure to feel like a trained Jedi. Sphero demonstrated at the Consumer Electronics Show today how its upcoming hardware for motion-tracking wearable will help you interact with the insanely popular rolling BB-8 toy.
Seeing that it’s still only in the prototype phase, the wearable will completely change looks by the time it will ship to consumer later in the year, but functionality will remain pretty much the same as it was demonstrated today in Las Vegas.
Companion apps that pair with such devices usually require the user to manipulate a set of virtual controls on the touchscreen of a smartphone or a tablet, but not Sphero’s new wearable.
Instead, the company has packed it with ultra-sensitive gyroscopic motion sensors that have the ability to detect the subtlest of Jedi movements, which are then translated into commands for the BB-8 droid.
You have push and pull motions to send the tiny toy away and then call it back, but that’s not all. In addition, the wearable can precisely steer the drone around obstacles, preventing the BB-8 from getting stuck somewhere, and also trigger pre-programmed moves.
A color-changing LED on the prototype model will indicate which control mode you’re using, depending on the motion you make or the way you hold your arm. Even the BB-8’s head movements can be controlled, so the droid can imitate a response when interacting with other people.
As soon as it becomes available, the wearable is expected to be sold as a package with Sphero’s BB-8 – or on its own for everyone who already has purchased one of the toys, but wants to take the experience one step further.
And for the fans who have also seen the movie, Sphero will also offer the worn-out BB-8 edition instead of the shiny toy; the ‘battle damage’ droid looks like it has clearly survived an adventure or two.
Image Source: Engadget
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