Sphero, basking in the glory of the Star Wars BB-8 afterglow, has a new connected toy called Darkside.

With a name that pays homage to Star Wars, the new toy is the naughty alter-ego of the existing Sphero Ollie.

Sphero says that Darkside is a robot that gives something back. It's not just your subservient plaything: it will give you retorts, and sometimes ignore you completely and go off and do its own thing.

"We've reached a point in technology where robots should be more than plastic, metals, and energy that we control, drive or manipulate. They can learn. They should have a point of view. They should play back with us. We are giving our customers a glimpse into the future," said Rob Maigret, CCO.

Giving this robot a point of view might be the downfall of mankind, a step closer to the dystopian nightmare where machines become self aware, throwing aside Asimov's first law.

Or, it could just be jolly good fun, tying in with Sphero's new six-part Instagram video series called The Chronicles of Darkside. This video series details the battle between Ollie and Darkside.

The app (iPhone, iPad, Android) will reflect Darkside's growing personality, supporting the robot's physical autonomy.

Sphero Darkside is available now, exclusively from Firebox in the UK, priced £99.99.