Are you in need of a miniature robot pal? While it's no Jibo (RIP), the Sphero Mini App-Controlled Robot Ball makes a cool circuit-heavy companion, and today you can save $10 when you shop at Amazon. There are a few different colors on sale for around the same price, though the item availability could change at any moment. You'll get free shipping as well. This price comes within a few bucks of the best we've ever seen.
This itty-bitty robot ball is controllable via a free app on your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet. Once you have it connected, you'll be able to drive the ball around using your device. It also features a mode called Face Drive which allows you to use facial expressions to drive the ball, which is both silly and unique. The Sphero Mini can even be used as a controller for games within the app. Your purchase comes with traffic cones and bowling pins that you can either use in conjunction with pre-designed games or use to create your own obstacle course and miniature bowling alley. The app gets updated with new games, too, so your little robot pal will keep learning fun new tricks.
Another neat feature that STEM-obsessed kids will love is Sphero Edu. Using the free Sphero Edu app, you can drag and drop blocks to create your own Javascript text and code your robot.
The ping-pong sized robot lasts for about an hour of playtime on a single charge. The outside of the Sphero Mini can be removed and replaced with a different color shell too - Sphero sells them on its website for $10 apiece. Over 340 customers at Amazon rated this product with 4.2 out of 5 stars collectively. Back in 2017, when it was first released and not on sale, this in-depth overview called the Sphero Mini "the best $50 you can spend on your kids this year."
