A robot built to entertain can now do its amazing tricks a lot better when it's being controlled by a smartphone.

The robot named Ollie is a tubular robot capable of performing tricks such as jumping or spinning onto its side. It succeeds a robot named Sphero.

Both robots are built by Orbotix, a robotics company based in Boulder, Colorado.

Like Us on Facebook

Ollie, which was previously named 2B, can be controlled from as far away as 30 meters. It wirelessly connects with Android and iOS devices.

It can go twice as fast as Sphero. More important, Ollie gives its user much more control compared to other robotic toys.

The edge enjoyed by Ollie can be attributed to its tubular design, which is quite different from the ball-like Sphero.

Ollie was designed to do tricks. It spins onto its side and jumps. As a user gets to master the robot, he'll be able to command Ollie to perform many other tricks.

Ollie uses Bluetooth LE to connect to smartphones and comes with wired charging.

Users can activate Ollie much more quickly than Sphero. They can do this by opening the app and tapping their phone while it's connected to Ollie.

One feature Ollie shares with Sphero is the built-in LED lights for communicating with the user, said TechCrunch. The robot changes the color of the LEDs. The lights turn red when Ollie stops, for example.

Besides being easier to maneuver, Ollie has top speed of 15 miles per hour, much faster than Sphero.

Ollie can also be customized by the owner by browsing and purchasing special wheel covers for different tricks such as racing or off-road driving.

The user can also buy merchandise available on the Internet such as different jump ramps and other accessories that shows-off Ollie's tricks.

TagsRobotics, Toy, iPhone, Play