Lego's new smart brick

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Tinkerisk

4798 posts

Uber Geek
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#3450797 8-Jan-2026 17:19

alavaliant:

I'll be interested to see what people can hack these bricks to do. I'd imagine it won't take long before somebody is working on uploading altered/custom firmware and making them do extra things.

... and have to mill or angle it when the battery reaches EOL? For the price of the most expensive kit with 2 smart bricks, you can get an entire nuc-like PC.

- NET: FTTH & VDSL, OPNsense, 10G backbone, GWN APs
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LostBoyNZ

622 posts

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#3450864 8-Jan-2026 18:55

alavaliant:

I'll be interested to see what people can hack these bricks to do. I'd imagine it won't take long before somebody is working on uploading altered/custom firmware and making them do extra things.

Me too! And ideally I'd love to see a way to connect them with the Lego motors, then we really have something like a modern day Lego Mindstorms set.

I'm curious how secure Lego made these. With wanting to protect their reputation and brand, it's hard to think they didn't imagine someone will have the smart bricks making adult noises or something like that, if they can take control.

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Tinkerisk

4798 posts

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#3450876 8-Jan-2026 20:44

LostBoyNZ:

alavaliant:

I'll be interested to see what people can hack these bricks to do. I'd imagine it won't take long before somebody is working on uploading altered/custom firmware and making them do extra things.

Me too! And ideally I'd love to see a way to connect them with the Lego motors, then we really have something like a modern day Lego Mindstorms set.

I think you're expecting a bit too much functionality for it´s price from the smart bricks. 😁

There is not much more than LED output, sound and possibly relative positioning.

LostBoyNZ

622 posts

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#3450878 8-Jan-2026 21:05

Tinkerisk:

I think you're expecting a bit too much functionality for it´s price from the smart bricks. 😁

There is not much more than LED output, sound and possibly relative positioning.

Of the brick itself yeah, but the fact it can communicate with other bricks, I can't see why they couldn't put the same chip in a motor and interact together. Just for example on their train sets, put a smart brick on the bottom that reads an nfc chip piece on their station set, and the train could stop at the station, wait a bit then go again.

Or even without the motors, as an idea for a custom build (not a set), someone could make a retro style carnival game, shoot down the moving targets (smart bricks). Each one you shoot over, another light appears on a score board. There's probably all sorts of random interesting uses for this stuff, if it's open for more customizable use.

That's certainly not the direction they're aiming this at so far, but I hope it's a possibility :)

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deadlyllama

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Trusted

#3451418 10-Jan-2026 08:52

mkissin:

Senecio:

I remember when Lego were just generic bricks and you used your imagniation to decide what to build with them. Now they come as a set and you build one thing with that set.

If that's what you're after, nobody is stopping you from buying those sets - LEGO® Large Creative Brick Box 10698 | Classic | Buy online at the Official LEGO® Shop NZ

It's hard to swim against the tide of advertising, birthday presents and what your kids' friends have. Not impossible but I care less about LEGO than other aspects of parenting...

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