Toy Hacking

I’m really excited about the upcoming Toy Hacking workshop. I’m all signed-up and ready to go, but still quite in the dark about what I’ll actually come away from it being able to do.

In my fantasy vision I’ll become some kind of mad professor Frankentoy. Capable of creating remote control flying dolls that can urinate on evil-doers from a great height. Or money boxes that spell s-u-c-c-e-s-s or w-i-n-n-e-r when you put coins into them.

For a more realistic clip of what Toy Hacking is actually about…

On the NPR website there’s an interesting comment about Toy Hacking:

The toy hacking segment was interesting as a very accessible means for people to get creative with the seemingly scary technology they are buying. No reason not to open up the toys to see what is inside and reappropriate the parts for something new. Very post-modern activity and way of creating.

I think that’s why I’m interested. Plasticy pound-store electronic toys still seem like magic to me, I don’t want to destroy the magic, but I’d like to know a bit more about it. And become not-scared of taking things to bits.

I realised last night that my friends fall into 2 groups. Those who think toy hacking sounds like the coolest thing in the world. And those who think that the fact I even know about such a thing means that I must be part of a strange geek-cult. They’re all still good people. And in their own way they’re all probably right.

The toy I’m taking to hack is my Yoda Furby. Surely a toy hackers dream (especially with it’s ability to sense the force!):