Lego unveiled its new Smart Play system at CES on Monday, introducing interactive and responsive elements to the classic analog franchise. The system includes a Smart 2×4 brick, Smart Tag tiles, and Smart Minifigures. These Smart Bricks and Minifigures can detect nearby Smart Tags, which are 2×2 studless tiles with unique digital IDs that instruct the bricks and figures how to behave.
For example, if a Smart Tag is part of a helicopter set, the Smart Brick will light up and produce propeller sounds, helping to bring the helicopter to life. A built-in accelerometer ensures these lights and sounds respond to a child’s play, activating when the helicopter is zooming through the air or turned upside down.
The Smart Bricks are powered by a patented ASIC chip smaller than a single Lego stud. This chip uses near-field magnetic positioning to recognize nearby Tags and also contains a miniature speaker, accelerometer, and LED array. Lego developed a Bluetooth-based protocol called BrickNet, allowing multiple Smart Bricks to recognize each other and operate together. The company states that BrickNet is protected by enhanced encryption and privacy controls.
No setup is required to pair the elements of the Smart Play system, making it easy for children to begin playing immediately. Parents may appreciate that the system involves no screens. Lego’s website notes that there will even be a Smart Tag for animating Lego toilets.
The first two Smart Play sets, both Star Wars-themed, launch on March 1, with preorders opening this Friday. The “Luke’s Red Five X-wing” set will retail for $69.99, while the larger “Throne Room Duel and A-wing” set will cost $159.99. These sets use the Smart Play system to animate characters like Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia, enabling them to interact with Smart Tags for features such as Lightsaber duels.