We love Orbotix’sSphero. The little electronic ball often causes humans to digress to the intellect of a cat where good fun involves nothing more than chasing a little lighted ball. But it’s so much fun — at least for a few minutes.
But Sphero got a new toy. Using parts purchased from Sparkfun including a previously discarded toy car, trackball, an Arduino kit, and an H-Bridge, a developer hacked together a fun little car. The Sphero does most of the work as it essentially drives the toy car by rolling on top of the trackball sensor. Roll out!
Sphero is part electronic goodness and part magic. The little ball is controlled by a smartphone app, which can also change the color of the internal glow. But at the end of the day, the Sphero works out to be just an expensive cat toy. Even with the included games, it quickly loses its novelty. However, Orbotix, the company behind the Sphero, is actively trying to curate a development community for its little creation with the hope to constantly provide owners with fresh ideas and games. I, for one, would love this Sphero car.