Name: Sphero Mini
Brand: Sphero (USA)

$50sphero.com, September 2026 (Wikipedia lists US$49). Swappable colored shells.

AvailablePython from a laptopPing-pong-ball sizeCheapest SpheroFace DriveSwappable shells

≤ 1 weekShipping: Days. Sold directly by Sphero and on Amazon. Sphero Mini ↗

Remote control: The official Sphero Edu app runs on macOS/Windows/ChromeOS (and in a browser) and drives the robot over Bluetooth LE with block or JavaScript/Python code; the unofficial spherov2 Python library (pip) also drives it directly from a laptop over BLE.

Sphero Mini ↗Wikipedia (Sphero) ↗

Overview

A ping-pong-ball-sized Sphero with the same Edu programming stack as BOLT at a fraction of the price. It is not waterproof (micro-USB charging port) and has fewer sensors, but it is the cheapest way into a programmable rolling robot. The Sphero Play app adds arcade games and 'Face Drive', which steers it with head movements.

Specifications

Category	Spherical & rolling · Consumer & education
Released	2017
Availability	Available
Programmability	Full SDK
Best for	Ages 8+ (maker rating)
Vision sensors	No vision sensors
Actuators	DC / gear motors
Audio	No audio
Compute type	Arduino / ESP32 / microcontroller
Remote control	Python from a laptop
Size	42 mm (1.57 in) diameter, 46 g
Locomotion	Internal two-wheel drive cart in a snap-open shell
Compute	Not published
Camera	None
Sensors	Gyroscope, accelerometer, motor encoders; RGB LED
Runtime	~45 min
Speed	Not published
SDK	Sphero Edu: Draw, Blocks, JavaScript and Python; Sphero Play app; unofficial spherov2 Python library