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Lego’s screen-free Smart Play tests boundaries of tech and imagination

LEGO® SMART Play™, Global

US – At CES 2026, Lego unveiled Smart Play, a connected system that transforms its physical bricks into responsive play experiences using light, sound and movement – without relying on screens or tablets.

At the centre of the system is the Smart Brick, a 2x4 Lego piece equipped with motion, light and proximity sensors, a small speaker and a custom chip. Paired with Smart Tags and Smart Minifigures, the technology means that children’s builds react to how they are played with, triggering contextual sounds and behaviours as constructions are moved, combined or reimagined.

The first Smart Play sets, launching on 1 March 2026, will be themed around Star Wars and represent the company’s most significant product shift since the introduction of the Minifigure. Lego says the system is compatible with its existing bricks and is intended to support imaginative, open-ended play, as families and educators increasingly look for screen-free alternatives to digital entertainment.

However, some child development specialists warn that introducing electronic feedback risks diluting the traditional appeal of Lego, where creativity and storytelling are led entirely by the child. Even without screens, critics argue that programmed responses may subtly shape play in prescriptive ways.

The move adds momentum to ongoing industry discussions around the role of technology in children’s play. Read our AI Edu-play-tion and Gen Z Parents Community reports for more.

Strategic opportunity

The next frontier of The Synthocene Era is to create connected, responsive experiences that enhance imagination and emotional growth without relying on screens or addictive algorithms

Vibram turns barefoot training into mindful movement

Vibram Fivefingers, Global

Global – Vibram is expanding its minimalist footwear line with the launch of the FiveFingers V-Soul Foot Map, a women’s model designed for weightlifting and barefoot-style movement.

Retailing at £104 ($140, €120), the silhouette builds on the brand’s long-standing FiveFingers proposition. Central to the design is the Foot Map sole pattern, which visualises how energy disperses across the foot during movement. Each island on the outsole represents pressure points, framing training as a conscious exchange between body and ground.

The launch was supported by Strong Soles, an experiential event in London that brought female weightlifters together to train in the V-Soul Foot Map, using foot mapping, movement education and barefoot lifting to foreground sensory awareness and embodied strength.

Our Barefoot Shoe Market report explores how barefoot models such as Vibram FiveFingers are seeing a resurgence, driven by consumers who are seeking to maximise natural physical autonomy and move away from decades of correction-led footwear design.

Strategic opportunity

As consumers tire of quantified health and optimisation culture, invest in intuitive, body-led product design that communicates wellbeing through form and material, focusing on physical sensation

Stat: Only one in four Americans act on weight loss

Photography by Shvets Production

US – New data underscores a persistent challenge for the US fitness and wellness market: motivation remains high, but sustained action does not follow. According to the latest West Health-Gallup Health and Healthcare Survey, 52% of US adults say they want to lose weight, yet only 26% report they are seriously trying to do so. Findings show that 41% of Americans now describe themselves as ‘very or somewhat overweight’, marking the eighth consecutive reading above 40%.

Perceptions vary by gender and age, with 43% of women and 37% of men identifying as overweight and rates rising sharply after age 35. At the same time, body norms have shifted. Over the past five years, the average self-reported weight is 82kg (181lb), around 9kg (20lb) higher than in 1990, while ‘ideal’ weight targets have risen by roughly 7kg (15lb).

As explored in our Neozempic Futures report, pharmaceutical solutions are shaping attitudes to weight and wellness, but Gallup’s data highlights that motivation, habit and engagement remain critical friction points.

Strategic opportunity

Despite GLP-1s dominating headlines, weight remains a persistent challenge. Health and wellness brands can lead by embedding stackable, habit-driven solutions – such as microworkouts, meal planning tools or mindfulness prompts – that help people translate intent into long-term sustainable behaviour change