Discover how Lego created its revolutionary smart building brick with interactive technology and sensors after years of playtesting
Billund, Denmark: Lego made a new building brick with technology inside that can sense color and light. The brick has lights that change colors and send signals like a TV remote. Michael Fuller used his toy knowledge, not his tech skills, to help make it better.
The team tried many ideas first. They drew pictures of what they thought the brick could do. Then they made real models by hand to test them with children. Some early sets got sent out to kids around the world. Kids played with them while the team watched to see what worked best. This took a long time but helped make the brick more fun.
The smart brick can make its own sounds instead of playing recordings. It knows when it’s light or dark and can see different colors. The team wanted to add everything they could think of, not just what was easy or cheap. They built in features that didn’t even exist when they started working on it.
Tom Donaldson said making money was not why they created the brick. They wanted to see if they could do something amazing with Lego. The crazy tech they made could be used for other things like military equipment, but Lego will only use it for building blocks. The team believes making the brick better for playing is more important than making extra money.