SAN JOSE, California: The Danish toy maker Lego on Jan 5 unveiled a new interactive building brick at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, describing it as one of the most important developments of the Lego system in decades.
The so-called Lego Smart Brick is equipped with a speaker, LED lights and a tiny chip that allows it to detect and interact with other Smart Bricks and minifigures.
Julia Goldin, Lego's chief product and marketing officer, said the technology marked one of the most significant developments since the introduction of the Lego minifigure in 1978.
The Smart Brick contains a custom-made chip measuring just over four millimetres, copper coils and a rechargeable battery. This allows the brick to detect the distance and orientation of other Smart Bricks in its vicinity.
It also features a built-in miniature speaker, an accelerometer and an LED display.
The brick can recognise which figures or special sensors are nearby and react accordingly. For example, when a figure is placed on a vehicle, the brick responds with matching sound or lighting effects.
Lego said the Smart Bricks would go on sale on March 1, 2026. At launch, three Star Wars building sets are planned, including an X-Wing fighter that reacts to flight movements with sound.
Lego will also introduce interactive minifigures, including Chewbacca, which lets out its trademark Wookiee roar when brought close to the Smart Brick. Prices range from around US$70 for the smallest set to about US$160 for the largest.
Tom Donaldson, head of Lego's Creative Play Lab, said the technology "brings creativity, technology, and storytelling together to make building worlds and stories even more engaging, and all without a screen". – dpa
