# Bionic Toy Balls (UPDATE) The Sphero Robotic Ball Brings Tech to Play Time By Michael Hines | Published 2012-05-23 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sphero-robotic-ball References: [designbuzz](http://www.designbuzz.com/sphero-robotic-ball-reinvents-ball-iphone-generation.html) & [thinkgeek](http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/rc/ed94/?pfm=homepage_Featured_2_ed94) The [Sphero](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sphero-sports) Robotic Ball gives a whole new meaning to playing with a ball. This geeky toy is designed to be controlled by either an [iPhone](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/iphone-gaming-controller) or Android device, letting you roll it around without ever touching it. Moving a ball with a phone sounds fun, but it can get boring after awhile. Thankfully, Sphero has a plan for this, offering a ton of apps to unlock the [robotic ball's](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sphere-vehicle) full potential. There's a golf app that lets you practice your putting, a camera app that lets you get a worm's eye view of the ground, an app that lets you draw a pattern that the ball will then follow and many, many more. The Sphero Robotic Ball can be seen in the video here and is available now for $130. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 0.9/10 - Popularity: 7% | Activity: 12% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Gen Z - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Mobile](https://www.trendhunter.com/mobile) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Robot-controlled Toys:** Opportunities for creating more interactive and innovative toys are apparent. - **Mobile Device Integration:** Exploring ways to integrate mobile devices with different products can promote new markets. - **Augmented Reality Gaming:** Potential in creating more immersive gaming experiences with augmented reality technology. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Toy Industry:** Investigating technological features and mobile device integration in toys can lead to significant advancements in the industry. - **Mobile App Development:** Creating applications that can add more interactive features to robotic toys can lead to new marketplace opportunities. - **Gaming Industry:** Exploring the potential of incorporating augmented reality features into games can lead to more engaging experiences and higher levels of user interaction. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [STEM Education Classroom Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-sphero-bolt.md) - [Sports-Based STEM Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sphero-sports.md) - [Rolling Pet Connectivity Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/freshrobot-rollbot.md) - [Connected Training Baseballs](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-gaming-baseball.md) - [Shelled Smart Dog Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/wicked-ball-air.md) - [Digital Hamster Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/bitzee-hamster-ball.md) - [Multi-Mode Smart Cat Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cheerble-wicked-ball-m3.md) - [Oversized Spherical Dog Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/herding-ball.md) - [Remote Pet Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/rola-petpal.md)