LAS VEGAS, January 05 (AJP) - Lego bricks don’t just stack anymore — they listen, light up and talk back. At CES 2026, the Lego Group unveiled AI-embedded bricks designed to bring sound, motion and real-time feedback into physical play, blurring the line between classic building toys and interactive games.
At a media showcase on Monday at the world’s largest technology trade show, the Danish toymaker introduced what it calls “Smart Play,” a tech-hybrid Lego platform centered on a standard 2×4 brick embedded with sensors, LED lights and a tiny speaker. The move marks Lego’s boldest step yet into connected play as it seeks to compete on equal footing with digital-first entertainment.
The Smart Brick, identical in size to a traditional Lego piece, houses a 4.1-millimeter ASIC chip — smaller than a Lego stud — that runs what the company calls the “Play Engine.” The chip allows the brick to sense motion, orientation, magnetic fields and the proximity of other Smart Bricks, enabling pieces to interact with one another in real time.
“We wanted to leverage technical innovation and bring it into physical play,” said Julia Goldin, Lego Group’s chief product and marketing officer. “Kids have unlimited creativity. They have unlimited imagination.”
Beyond the core brick, the Smart Play system includes Smart Minifigures and Smart Tags, each equipped with digital IDs readable through near-field magnetic communication. The bricks also feature an accelerometer, integrated copper coils and a miniature speaker that produces sounds triggered by live actions rather than pre-recorded clips.
During a live demonstration, two Smart Bricks changed colors depending on how far apart they were and whether they were facing each other. A toy car revved its engine when pushed forward and screeched when sharply tilted. A Lego duck quacked while “swimming” and croaked softly when laid down to sleep. A plane roared through aerial maneuvers, responding to every twist and turn.
Minifigures further altered the play experience. A civilian figure screamed when repeatedly rammed by a toy car, while a pilot figurine let out disgruntled sounds if a plane was flipped upside down.
Lego said the system operates on a proprietary wireless layer called BrickNet, built on Bluetooth technology using what it calls “Neighbor Position Measurement.” Crucially, the bricks communicate directly with one another without the need for apps, internet connections or external controllers.
“The way to think of this is like a tiny distributed console, but for physical play,” said Tom Donaldson, senior vice president at the Lego Group, who led the technical demonstration. “One Smart Brick can be reused to unlock a huge range of different play experiences across potentially thousands of models.”
Battery performance was another focus. Lego said the Smart Bricks are designed to function even after years of inactivity, with multiple pieces capable of being charged wirelessly on a shared charging pad.
In a surprise appearance, executives from Lucasfilm joined Lego on stage alongside R2-D2 and C-3PO to preview how the Star Wars franchise will anchor the first Smart Play lineup. Lego’s partnership with Lucasfilm began in 1998, when its minifigure catalog comprised just 27 characters. Today, the lineup spans more than 1,500.
“The Lego brand is all about building creativity and inventing your own adventure, and this new Lego Smart innovation takes that to the next level,” said Dave Filoni, Lucasfilm’s chief creative officer. “We hope it’ll inspire a whole new generation of storytellers.”
Lego plans to launch the Smart Play system with three Star Wars sets in March, with starting prices around $90.
The company, which celebrated its 70th anniversary last year, said Smart Play reflects its effort to bring advanced technology into physical play while preserving the open-ended creativity and simplicity that have long defined the Lego brand.
reporter
Kim Dong-young
davekim0807@ajupress.com
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