Lego has introduced Smart Play, an interactive system that turns classic bricks into elements sensitive to movement and context. Standard pieces contain microchips, LEDs, speakers and scanners. They respond to position and motion and interact with minifigures and special Smart Tags that define scenarios and missions.
A brick can “realize” that it has been thrown into the air or is being carried on a rope and respond with the appropriate sound. Tags allow bricks to “transform” into dinosaurs, trucks or starships. Minifigures have also gained individual personalities: one hero will enthusiastically dash into a cave, while another will freeze fearfully at the entrance.
Most importantly, there are no screens or complicated settings. Everything happens in physical space, as in traditional Lego: you build it and play. It is also fully compatible with existing sets.
The project has been in development since 2017: engineers created their own microchip and positioning system that allows the bricks to “understand” their place in a build. Smart Play will debut in three new Star Wars sets arriving in March. The system includes more than 25 patents and is expected to set a new standard in the world of construction toys.
