With the Smart Brick, Lego is launching a building block that makes building more interactive with sound and light. — Photos: Lego/dpa
LAS VEGAS: The Danish toy maker Lego has unveiled what it says is one of the "most significant evolutions" of the design of its bricks with a new smart interactive piece that can detect and interact with other smart bricks and tagged pieces.
Announced at the annual CES tech fair in Las Vegas on Monday, the new interactive building brick so-called Lego Smart Brick is equipped with a tiny chip that lets it use a speaker and LED lights in different ways when other smart bricks are near.
In real play, a Lego dinosaur could then start to roar when the right piece is added, while a helicopter can buzz and light up when completed.
Julia Goldin, Lego's chief product and marketing officer, said the technology marks one of the most significant evolutions since the introduction of the Lego minifigure in 1978.
With the Smart Brick, Lego is launching a building block that makes building interactive with sound and lights.
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 (RM284) for the smallest set to about US$160 (RM650) 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
