Ollie – the App-controlled robot

Just when you thought remote control couldn’t get any cooler comes the Ollie.

The Ollie is an app-controlled robot. Yep, you read right, it’s a [robot]. Ollie is controlled by your mobile device using a free App you can download from the App Store or Google Play. Orbotix, the creator of the Ollie is all about Connected Play^TM   which aims to bring the virtual world and the real world together.

 

 

When my ten year old son saw the Ollie I actually think his brain exploded he was that excited. The Ollie requires a basic set-up which involves putting the wheels on – all very simple stuff. Once the Ollie is all ‘snapped’ together you charge it via USB (SWEET no batteries!!!)

 

 

Once we had downloaded the app and charged the Ollie we were ready to go. To get started you just need to ‘connect’ the Ollie to the device you are using. To do this you just touch the Ollie with your device. The app has a good user interface with clear instructions on what you need to do. The App used to control Ollie also gives you feedback and points based on the moves and tricks you do. Learning how to manoeuvre the Ollie does take some practice and we are all still learning. To show you how the experts do it, and give you a real idea of what the Ollie is capable of, check out the video below.

 

 

Everyone in my family loves the Ollie. From Little L who is only four, right up to Daddy who is, well older than four 🙂 Below are some videos I did of the boys playing with the Ollie. As I said we are still mastering the manoeuvres and tricks but as you can see from the video Little L can still easily use the Ollie -even though he is pretty much ‘freestyling’ – hehehe. The first video is Little L having a go of the Ollie and the second is Big M (10 years) trying to master some trick manoeuvres 🙂

Overall score: I give the Ollie a 4 out of 5

Setup – 4.5

The Ollie is very easy to set up. Basically it’s plug and play. You need to do some assembly – which is very easy (my ten year old did it) and then you need to charge it. The initial charging time was a bit stressful as the boys were busting to play with it! Obviously you need a mobile device to use the Ollie (App), most people have them, but not all kids (like my four year old).

App – 4

The Ollie App has a great user interface and clear instructions. It also gives you feedback and points based on the moves and tricks you do. Best of all the App is free.

Control – 4

Mastering and controlling the Ollie takes a bit a practice and can be tricky.

Happiness Factor – 5

As you may know from my previous reviews, the Happiness Factor is how much fun, enjoyment and happiness the toy gives. The smile this toy brings to my kids faces is priceless. They have so much fun with the Ollie and continue to learn new moves and tricks.

Price – 4.5

A bit on the pricey side with a RRP of $149.95… but for what you get it is worth it.

 

 

You can purchase the Ollie from Apple, David Jones or iWorld. For full stockist details visit www.gosphero.com/retail-partners/

For more info on the Ollie visit  www.gosphero.com/ollie/ 

 

Disclaimer: I received an Ollie to facilitate this review (much to the delight of my ten year old son who did much of the road testing). All of the opinions expressed in this review post are entirely my own.