The newest version, according to Orbotix, comes with color-changing LED lights, a lowered center-of-gravity, and seamless maneuverability on land or in water. Sphero’s real magic comes in its driveability. Comparable to driving a remote control car, Sphero connects to its main driving app “Sphero” and from there, users learn to maneuver the rolling ball by completing 20 levels – taking approximately eight hours of continuous driving. With the option to snap photos and stream live video while driving, Sphero is a fun-filled experience allowing users to master obstacle courses on land or in water.

Whether you want to operate Sphero in the Rainbow Drive Mode (rotating through the full spectrum of LED lights as you drive) or add booster speeds while flying over either of its two ramps, Orbotix developed a full suite of driving apps that lets your imagination run wild. Armed with a digital D-pad or tilt controls, users can trace an on-screen path with its Draw N’ Drive app – and watch Sphero whip its way around your crazy racetrack.

If you want to challenge yourself outside of Sphero’s driving games, choose from 25 ancillary apps designed by Orbotix and other third-party developers. Considered by reviewers to be the best app available, Sphero Golf lets users create their own mini golf course in their house or backyard. Similar to Nintendo Wii, you can swing your smartphone like a golf club and watch the Sphero roll up to the mapped out course holes. Whether you want to challenge yourself with dog leg lefts in the comfort of your living room or play chip n’ put in your backyard, Sphero lets you design and play digital mini-golf.

Like most devices with an SDK platform, innovation is limited only by a developer’s imagination. Whether it’s The Rolling Dead zombie fighting game or cartoon critter Sharky The Beaver – Sphero 2.0 has a full suite of augmented reality apps. If you’re interested in turning your living room floor into the epicenter for the zombie apocalypse, then feel free to upload Rolling Dead. If you want to tone down the AR experience to a light-hearted venture, then you and Sharky the Beaver can roam around your house eating coins and stealing random pieces of cake.

Finally, the Orbotix Sphero is one powerful learning tool, especially for kids interested in learning BASIC programming. Sphero Microlab, according to the company’s website, lets users “assemble sequences of predefined micros to execute and orbBasic lets you program behaviors for Sphero.” In other words, there’s an app that lets kids program Sphero to do cool stuff.

Sphero comes with dual jumping ramps and a rubber all-terrain cover – letting users take advantage of Orbotix’s highly entertaining amphibious rolling robotic and its full suite of intuitive apps.