I just read about roBlocks in an editorial email from Dr. Dobb’s Journal. Basically, they’re little magnetic blocks that you stick together and build robots. The blocks are smart enough to know how they are arranged and can automatically provide various functionality based on that arrangement.

There are currently about 21 different blocks available, each serving a specific function. The blocks are categorized as sensors (light, sound, touch, motion, etc.), actuators (lights, sirens, movements), operators (inverse, sum, max, min, etc.), and utility blocks (power, passive, blocker, and comm).

The creators–a professor and PH.D. candidate from Carnegie Mellon University–are hoping to have the blocks in mass production and on the shelves by December. When they become the hot new item at Christmas, remember that you heard about them here first!

For now, though, have fun with the simulator.