Christmas is arriving early for Star Wars fans around the world. At a recent press event highlighting the upcoming toy collection designed for the revitalized Star Wars film sequels, robotic toy manufacturer Sphero unveiled BB-8, a successor to the iconic R2-D2 robot from previous films.

BB-8 is already making its way to toy stores in Australia and North America, Star Wars fans are eagerly awaiting the opportunity to get their hands on this smart robot, which features gyroscopic propulsion and inductive charging as well as the ability to deliver holographic messages.

The autonomous behavior and adaptive personality of BB-8 can be programmed via a smartphone app. The Bluetooth protocol allows users to control the tiny robot up to a range of 30 meters and as long as 60 minutes before it requires an inductive recharge.

Although the default controls of BB-8 consists of taps and gestures, the robot can also be controlled by means of Apple Siri or Google Now, which means that it can respond to human voice. According to the manufacturer Sphero, BB-8 is able to listen and respond to voice commands. To this effect, the robot’s firmware is being localized for different regions; when it becomes available in Costa Rica, it will be able to respond to voice commands in Spanish.

Initially, only Android and iOS devices will be able to control BB-8. Windows Phone users will have to wait until later this year. The autonomous patrol feature of this toy robot allows it to roam around on its own. When it comes time to recharge its battery, a process that takes three hours, BB-8 will playfully shake and fidget as if ready to get rolling again.

Pricing for the BB-8 in the United States is expected to start around $150.