LEGO unveils Smart Brick as its biggest innovation since 1978
The LEGO Group has unveiled its new Smart Brick, marking what the company describes as one of the most significant evolutions in its history since the introduction of the LEGO Minifigure in 1978, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
The announcement was made this week at CES 2026, with commercial sales scheduled to begin on March 1, 2026.
The Smart Brick is a standard 2x4 LEGO element equipped with a tiny custom-made chip measuring just four millimetres. Despite being smaller than a single LEGO stud, the chip connects to a rechargeable battery, wireless charging coil, LED lights, a speaker, and multiple sensors that detect motion, orientation, light, sound, and magnetic fields in real time. Each brick can sense its position relative to nearby pieces through a local Bluetooth mesh network known as BrickNet.
The new system also includes Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures with embedded digital IDs. When Smart Bricks detect tagged elements nearby, they respond with synchronized light and sound effects that reflect what is happening in the build. A spaceship, for example, can emit engine sounds as it moves, while a lightsaber produces a characteristic hum when lifted. These effects can also be activated by simple actions such as clapping or blowing into the brick’s microphone. LEGO has stressed that the microphone does not record or store audio and that the Smart Brick contains no cameras or artificial intelligence.
The first Smart Brick products will be released as part of three LEGO Star Wars sets, priced between 70$ and 160$, each including Smart Bricks, tagged tiles, and Smart Minifigures.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that several technology devices expected to shape consumer trends in 2026 have been identified, as key manufacturers prepare to introduce new gadgets across multiple technology segments.
