That plastic ball up there might look like a simple plastic ball, but it is in fact a simple plastic ball packed with tech. Inside the Orbotix, as it's known, are robot guts that let you control the ø74mm (2.9-inch) sphere with an Android or iOS device.

It works via Bluetooth (along with some secret-sauce robotics and motors), and charges via induction, so you don't need any plugs. We first saw the Sphero, then nameless, back in August when it was just a prototype. Now the cute rolling toy is almost ready for production, and will be shown off in Las Vegas at CES next month.

The ball isn't just for rolling. Well, actually, rolling is all it will do, but the programming hooks into the ball's control systems have been given to developers so that they can write games. This, you could tilt your iPad to control the ball in a hybrid real-virtual blend of Marble Madness, or go head-to-head with another Sphero ball in a game of spherical Sumo.

So we lay down a challenge: Gizmodo guys - we'll meet you at the ShowStoppers event on the night before CES begins and kick your asses. Cool?

The Ball Revealed – Sphero [Orbotix. Thanks, Meghan!]

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