As of October 4th， it’s hard to fathom that a small gadget， born 18 years ago， can still captivate audiences today. This sentiment echoes through the recent online buzz surrounding the Sony Rolly， a unique music player that has resurfaced and garnered significant attention.
Recently， a video shared by a netizen showcased the Sony Rolly performing to Michael Jackson’s iconic song “Beat It.” The video quickly went viral， sparking numerous comments and discussions among online users.
In the video， this distinctive speaker demonstrates an impressive ability to move and “dance” in sync with the music’s rhythm. While its movements might appear spontaneous at first glance， they are， in fact， meticulously programmed to mirror the song’s dance choreography.
The comment sections were filled with users expressing their astonishment， with many noting it was their first time witnessing such a device. Several individuals praised Sony’s innovative spirit， with a considerable number expressing a desire to acquire one for themselves.
Introduced in September 2007， the Sony Rolly was a groundbreaking personal music player. Its egg-like exterior and its ability to “dance” in time with music earned it its unique name. This device was a fascinating fusion of robotics and audio entertainment， and at the time， it was lauded as “the cutest， dumbest black technology.” While its market reception was mixed， the Rolly has undeniably become one of Sony’s most iconic products， emblematic of its bold and creative design philosophy.
The Rolly was equipped with seven 3-axis acceleration sensors. Motors powered its base wheels and the speaker covers on either side， allowing for six fundamental movements: rotation， sliding， and flapping. It was capable of autonomous analysis of music to generate dance patterns， and users could also program custom routines. This level of interactivity was quite advanced for its era， contributing to its “black technology” moniker.
It featured 1GB of internal flash memory， capable of storing approximately 188 songs at 352kbps， but this storage was not expandable. The device was powered by a 1560mAh lithium battery， offering around 5 hours of playback for music alone， 4 hours for music with dancing， and a reduced 3.5 hours in Bluetooth mode.
However， the Rolly’s ambitious pricing proved to be a significant hurdle. Launched in Japan at 39，800 yen (approximately $380 USD)， it was considerably more expensive than its contemporaries， such as the 1GB iPod nano (priced at $149 USD). Coupled with a complex user interface and a limited range of functions， these factors ultimately relegated the Rolly to the realm of niche collectibles.
