LEGO SMART Play: Turning Passive Plastic into Edge-Computing Mesh Network

LEGO has announced the SMART Play system at CES 2026. It is a screen-free interactive ecosystem launching first with the Star Wars line this year.

​LEGO has filed 25 technology patents for turning passive plastic into edge-computing mesh network.

​Hardware Breakdown

• ​SMART Brick (2×4): Contains a custom 4.1mm ASIC chip (smaller than a single stud), accelerometer, color-recognition scanner, and a sound synthesizer. It uses a BrickNet protocol (Bluetooth-based mesh) to communicate.
• ​SMART Tag (2×2 tile): A passive digital ID chip that tells the Brick what it's attached to.
• ​SMART Minifigure: Uses near-field magnetic positioning to unlock specific character dialogue and personalities within the Brick.

https://www.lego.com/en-us/aboutus/news/2026/december/lego-smart-play-announcement

https://www.lego.com/en-au/smart-play/article/innovation

Investment Angle

​With LEGO moving into high-tech hardware and edge computing, here are the key players:
* ​IP/Brand: Disney (Launch partner)
* ​Fabricator: TSMC (Producing the 4.1mm ASICs)
* ​Manufacturer: Jabil (Handling the hardware assembly)