Sphero R2-Q5

R2-Q5 © Sphero.

We didn’t expect a new Sphero robot so soon after the recent announcement of the BB-9E and R2-D2. Yet the company has just announced the arrival of a new addition to the Star Wars family: the R2-Q5, an Imperial Astromech Droid that made its debut back in 1983 in Return of the Jedi and looks like a sinister version of the R2-D2. It will only be available through BestBuy. Sphero also unveiled the new Mini, a 42-mm sphere, about the size of a ping-pong ball, that is controlled with a smartphone. The Mini is in fact an adorable miniature version of the original Sphero. Teamed up with Sphero Edu software, the Mini turns into an educational tool to teach kids the basics of programming. 45-minute autonomy and micro USB charging. US$50.

⇨ Circuit Breaker, “Sphero’s R2-Q5 looks like the bad boy version of R2-D2.”

⇨ Circuit Breaker, “The Sphero Mini is the size of a ping pong ball and super cute.”