Audio News

Sony seems to be trying their hand in robotics lately, and trying to fuse their efforts with entertainment devices. I’m sure everyone remembers Sony’s robot pet dog, the AIBO, that was supposed to posses some level of artificial intelligence and eventually become more fun that real pets. Of course, the AIBO pretty much failed entirely and was neither a suitable pet replacement nor very entertaining, but Sony has refused to give up on their robot ambitions. Their most recent robotic escapade, the Sony Rolly, was announced last year, introduced at this year’s CES, and only released last month.

The Rolly is something of a cross between an easter egg and a rugby ball. Although the new device doesn’t really resemble any animal or creature in particular, and lacks legs, it seems quite enthusiastic to dance at every opportunity. Of which there are plenty considering the Sony Rolly has a built-in MP3 player. It’s a little difficult to describe how the egg shaped device grooves, but the video above should give you an excellent idea of its moves. It has little extendable flaps on the side that are capable of a wide variety of choreographed movements and play an active role in the Rolly’s dances. Just like any skilled dancer, the Rolly grooves to the beat of the music and uses a special song analysis to determine what pre-programmed moves it plans to use. There is also an LED located on each side to provide for some very entertaining light shows. Any aspiring choreographers can also use included software to create their own dance sequences for the Rolly to follow.

Aside from its dancing prowess, the 2 GB MP3 player is the robot’s key characteristic. The Rolly player reads both MP3 and AAC audio files. Unlike other MP3 players, the Rolly is much better suited to rolling around or dancing, and not being confined to your trouser pocket. Although it is technically portable, and battery powered with a battery life of up to 5 hours, the Rolly’s 11 ounce weight means that most people would prefer not to carry the device around. But Sony clearly intended for the device to be more of a set of portable speakers, as an audio jack for headphones is not even included. In terms of the audio output, the built in speakers offer a decent performance, although the bass could be improved.

Now onto another important aspect: price. As can be expected from any type of robotic speakers with their own choreographed dance moves, the technology involved is complex and the price is expensive. The Sony Rolly is going for around £200, or essentially the same as some of the best MP3 players out there on the market today, without hardly any of the same features. Of course, no iPod can actually dance to the music, while performing its own light show, and the Sony Rolly definitely has a huge amount of entertainment and party value.