LEGO announced a new “Smart Brick” at CES: ▫️built a tiny computer into 2x4 bricks ▫️bricks “come alive” by lighting up or making sounds (triggered by NFC smart tags inside smart LEGO tiles and minifigs) ▫️LEGO built its own ASIC chip (fits into brick stud and smartphone app provides... firmware updates) ▫️chip takes sound as input only (for privacy, it doesn’t record and no camera and no AI features) ▫️multiple Smart Bricks can make a Bluetooth mesh network (by telling position and direction of bricks, it can trigger crash sounds if brick is hit and track “winning” vehicles in a race) LEGO says it is the “the most significant evolution in the Lego System-in-Play since the introduction of the Lego Minifigure in 1978.” First Smart Bricks set come out in March and are Star Wars themes (X-Wing, Tie Fighter). *** More via The Verge:show more

On a related note, I wrote on Lego’s incredible engineering here (fault tolerance of <0.05mm) to make sure the 30 billion bricks a year can all work with the existing base of 1 trillion bricks.

Good demo here

So it’s kinda like Mario lego

LEGO is already insanely expensive, I cannot wait to see what these cost.

no please, i like my legos analog

Be nice if they could control sensors and motors too like the old Lego Mindstorms.

This is amazing 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

First time seeing this but I am expecting these to be used in some sort of hack or spying within the year, and I feel that's on the long side.

Battery inside?

charges wirelessly on a pad (can hold multiple bricks at time)

Imagine what these will cost

more microplastics entering our brains….

Lego has become too expensive. And "technik-like" pieces (motors, linear actuators, battery packs) from AliExpress are more 'innovative', more useful for builds and way cheaper. Too bad it seems Lego is focused on kits instead of creativity packs (assorted pieces w/o instructions

Now they rob kids of their creativity in coming up with their own sound effects during play using their voices. No, not another brick that parents will have to help look for when it eventually gets lost among the hundreds of other bricks in the pile of disassembled models.

@ninjanovadotsol wow 👀

No thanks. Nothing drives a parent crazier than "sound" in toys. Let Legos be Legos please.

Toys come alive when kids play with them, copy real life sounds… a sad development for children if that immersion is taken away. Not that they would realize it.

Smart bricks sound neat, but likely costly and limited in use cases.

"Smart as a brick" is usually not very flattering...

So instead of use your imagination and the sounds of playing with the bricks/blocks the main black piece does it for you…

Have you seen this @kronbtc @MattRPD ? Wow

LEGO: out bricks are super compatible with all of our other bricks Also LEGO: for 6262718 times we make smart product and it’s completely not compatible with our other smart bricks

@AutPain BlueBrixx: Haut 1 Banger Set nach dem anderen raus. Lego: Leuchtender Stein mit NFC Chip

I’m sure they will come with a subscription model too.

"it's a system of interlocking bricks", but now, with chips inside

That's cool! What Star Wars sets do you think will come out next? We design apps for startups. What do you think?

Wait, NFC chips inside?

Amiibo if it wasn’t lame AF

“Redstone” ?

For a little story

how about the power supply ? charging the logo bricks ?

Wonder how it will work with Lego Pokemon 🤔

When you watch the footage of this stuff in action, it's clear as day it's meant to be the sound chip that use to be in toys that'd get triggered by a button or motion action, etc. Nothing more. Neat Lego's getting it but not double the price for sets neat.

СПЕЦИАЛНИ РАЗУЗНАВАТЕЛНИ СРЕДСТВА НАВСЯКЪДЕ. И ДЕЦАТА УЧАСТВАТ, В ЕВРОПА Е ТАКА. А И НЕ САМО.

You forgot "increase sets prices by $40"