(What do LEGOs have to do with Pro AV installations? Not much, but Wayne Cavadi is on the ground for his fourth year of CES coverage, and SCN will share some of the fun and insights he's seeing on the show floor.)
The LEGO Group has unveiled its next evolution of its system of play. The LEGO Smart Brick and Smart Minifigures will allow for play in the next dimension; a digital dimension that begins in a galaxy far, far away.
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2025 marked 70 years since the birth of the brick, and the new year brings new innovation. Innovation has always driven The LEGO Group, leaving brick makers and creators always asking what was next. In the late 1970s, it was the now-iconic minifigure, and then came enhanced sets that changed the way consumers told their LEGO stories. This next step of the journey will go far beyond, bringing the LEGO system of play into the digital universe.
As Julia Goldin, chief product and marketing officer, The LEGO Group, explained, LEGOs help children turn imagination into creation. The digital technology now available helps LEGO bring intelligence, technology, and ability into a little chip, opening possibilities for a more interactive experience into physical play. The Smart Brick looks just like a LEGO brick, and can click into traditional LEGO bricks, but delivers a new experience that expands storytelling.
Tom Donaldson, SVP and head of creative play lab, The LEGO Group, brought a couple of children on stage to show how easy and intuitive the Smart system is to use. The Smart Brick system is driven by a Smart Tag, a tiny tile loaded with sound sensors, light sensors, color sensors, and an embedded digital ID that enables Smart Bricks to interact. Donaldson and the two children showcased LEGO ducks that quacked as they moved and LEGO cars lighting up as they raced towards a trophy that was also equipped with a Smart Brick, lighting up with the color of the car that won.
Goldin returned to the stage, explaining that the Smart Brick will begin its storytelling in our universe and one many young fans know and love. Asad Ayaz, chief brand officer, The Walt Disney Company and president of Disney Entertainment Marketing, Dave Filoni, chief creative officer of Lucasfilm, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and rebel X-Wing pilots joined Goldin on stage to introduce the next phase in the 25-year partnership between LEGO and Star Wars. The Smart Brick will launch in a Tie Fighter play set, X-Wing fighter set, and Darth Vader’s throne room, allowing the clash of lightsabers and blasts of space fighters to come alive.
The LEGO Group is staying true to its brick-building roots but now brings technical innovation into physical play. The Smart Brick will bring more interactivity into LEGO storytelling, designed to evolve with the LEGO system of play and to click in with every set LEGO makes, building for a future with endless possibilities.
