20 most recent innovations in toys

Swing While Standing Up

Mon, 04 Apr 2016 00:00:00 Z

A new, locally made toy is flying to new heights across the country. 'The Swurfer' combines the motion of swinging through the air with the sensation of surfing in the ocean. "A lot of inventions happen by accident and this one isn't really any different," said Swurfer inventor, Rob Bertschy.Rob's mother suggested turning one of his old surfboard prototypes into a swing because of its curved board. But Rob wasn't satisfied with an ordinary swing. "I didn't really want a boring swing. So I had to figure out a way to stand up on it and move around. I tried lots and lots of different ideas and I finally landed on this one" he said.

The Swurfer has two adjustable handles, yards of rope that hang from a tree and a curved board."The first prototype shipped in August to Wonder Works Toy Stores," said Bertschy. "Since then it's really taken off. We now ship to states all over the country."The Swurfer has been listed as one of the top 25 toys of the year and they're all being made from Robs garage on James Island."I didn't think it would be where it is today," he said. "My ultimate goal is to have a whole line of unique swings. We just signed a national agreement with a group of national independent toy stores. I'm starting to get a lot of interest from surf and skate type shops. Sometimes I lay awake at night ,wondering if extreme Swurfing can be the next X-game.

"Rob is planning to travel across the U.S. with The Swurfer promoting it, hoping it takes off in all 50 states. You can buy a Swurfer at any Wonder Works Toy Store or online at www.swurfer.com

Autonomous Toy Car

Mon, 27 Oct 2014 00:00:00 Z

Tomy Co Ltd will release the "Q-eyes," a new series of the Choro-Q toy car, which detects an obstacle and automatically changes routes to avoid it.

The toy car detects an obstacle with sensors located under the right and left headlights and runs while steering. It is possible to change the direction of the car by placing a hand in front of it as well as to make it run an about 15cm-wide course formed by 1cm or taller objects such as pens and erasers.

When an obstacle is found in front of the car, its response to the obstacle differs depending on the operation mode (A or B mode). In the A mode, the car backs off and makes a turn. In the B mode, it stops until the obstacle is removed.

Fully Automated Paper Airplane Machine Gun

Thu, 09 Oct 2014 00:00:00 Z

German inventor Dieter Michael Krone has created a machine gun that not only shoots small paper airplanes—it also does the tedious task of folding it for you in seconds.

Fill Water Balloons In Bulk

Mon, 18 Aug 2014 00:00:00 Z

In the winter it's snowballs, and in the summer it's water bombs. Clearly whatever time of year it may be, kids will find something to throw at each other. However, while making a snowball is quick and easy, making a water bomb (or water balloon) can be a laborious process. Unless you have Bunch O Balloons, a system for filling 100 balloons with water in under a minute.

Each Bunch O Balloons connects directly to the end of a hosepipe. The water flows down the tubes into each individual balloon, simultaneously filling them all with water. The balloons are already tied, so when they're full you simply shake them out to seal them ready for throwing. Each Bunch O Balloons contains 37 balloons, with the inventor, Josh Malone, claiming this means it's possible to fill 100 every minute.

The balloons are only suitable for using once, but as they're made from natural rubber, plus an additive that accelerates the rotting process, they're considered biodegradable. The leftover stems are made from polypropylene plastic meaning they can easily be recycled.

Auto Balance Bicycle

Thu, 05 Jun 2014 00:00:00 Z

A Jyrobike is an Auto Balance Bicycle with a unique Control Hub built into the front wheel. Jyrobike has a magical almost impossible quality, however the technology is actually based upon the basic and well-known scientific laws found in all gyroscopes or flywheels.

Built into every Jyrobike is a special Control Hub found in the front wheel. The Control Hub is a battery-powered, rechargeable, motor-driven invention that intelligently drives a spinning flywheel.

When turned on it acts like a gyroscope or gyro and provides a stabilizing force, working just as gyros do to keep helicopters stable in the air, boats stable at sea and spaceships stable in orbit.

The result is an Auto Balance Bicycle that keeps riders upright and balanced, even when they tip or wobble.

Toy Guardian

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 00:00:00 Z

The Toy Guardian is a toy box on wheels. This nice monster is protector of your toys; feed him before bedtime or other bad monsters will come and steal your treasure away when you're asleep. With a little storytelling, parents will find it easy to persuade their children to clean up their messy toys spontaneously.

Siftables

Tue, 13 Nov 2012 00:00:00 Z

Siftables, are computerized blocks that can communicate wirelessly, sense their orientation and proximity to other blocks, and display an image. Those seemingly simple attributes enable a nearly endless range of gaming and other interactive possibilities.

Siftables blocks can transmit music cues to each other to become musical instruments, display letters or numbers for educational games, or interact with a console to become the controllers for a larger gaming system. By giving physical form to abstract data, the blocks bridge the gap between physical and virtual. It's best explained and demonstrated by creator David Merrill himself at last year's TED conference:

Balance seesaw ensures a fair ride for kids, big and small

Mon, 08 Oct 2012 00:00:00 Z

If you ever went riding on a seesaw when you were a kid, you know how unrewarding the experience could be if the kid on the other side weighed decidedly more or less than you. But thanks to the laws of physics, one designer has come up with a solution to this problem.

Industrial designer Honghai Yu’s Balance seesaw offers an adjustable seating design which fixes the balance problem by allowing the lighter of the two children to pull their seat out, and moving one child further away from the pivot point. The result – a smooth ride on the teeter-totter for all.

Jumping Sand Flea robot

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Z

There is a new version of Sand Flea, the amazing 11-pound radio-controlled car beast that can race and jump over buildings.

Developed by Boston Dynamics—the same guys who created the freaky freaky Big Dog—Sand Flea is being developed for the US Army's Rapid Equipping Force.

Soldiers would be able to use these little beasts to explore the battle field through all type of obstacles. This new version can actually jump 9m in the air. Enough to get onto the roof of a tall building.

Sand Flea uses an onboard stabilization system that "keeps it oriented during flight to improve the view from the video uplink and to control landings." I really wish I could buy one of these.

SBU V3 Self-Balancing Unicycle

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Z

The SBU V3 Self-Balancing Unicycle combines Segway-like tech — including multiple 3-way sensors and gyroscopes — with all the circus-like fun of a unicycle, allowing you to move by doing nothing more than leaning forward, backward, and to the side. In addition, it weighs just 12kg, so it's easily to lug inside when your reach the office, and is powered by electricity, performing the equivalent work of a gallon of gas for just ten cents — making it incredibly economic, if potentially ridicule worthy.

Snap folding skateboard slides in your backpack for easy transport

Mon, 19 Mar 2012 00:00:00 Z

The creators of the SNAP Skateboard bill it as the world's first folding skateboard. The aluminum board folds into three segments so that you can easily transport it when not in use. The hinged, aluminum board is designed for both tricks and cruising. Given that the skateboard has wheels and rolls you where you need to go, we're not sure that it needed to get more portable. But, we suppose that the standard wheeled board can't take you everywhere you need to go, and sometimes you need to slide it in a bag or under your arm, so the smaller, the better.

Instead of the wooden deck that's standard in skateboard design, the SNAP uses aircraft grade 6061-T6 aluminum, presumably because a wood board would crack and splinter if you cut it into three pieces. The board folds from 36 inches (91.4 cm) down to 14 inches (35.6 cm) by way of two patented hinges. It's about 14 x 8 x 5 inches (35.6 x 20.3 x 12.7 cm) when folded, making it easier to fit in your backpack, suitcase, locker, etc. When it's time to skate, steel pins lock the hinges in place, giving you a solid deck to thrash on. The board has grip tape, and the trucks and 56 mm wheels can be removed and replaced with your kit of choice.

We're not sure how far you can trust a board that's split in three as far as tricks go. SNAP's website does specify that it is designed to do tricks as well as cruise the street, with claims of it being stronger than a traditional maple board. But it also says that the middle might buckle if you push it too hard, so maybe try a couple of ollies and kickflips before airing off the quarter pipe or jumping any big staircases.

We're going to guess the SNAP won't become the biggest craze in skating, but it might be a good option if you're frequently in a situation where you're forced to lug your board around by hand. The video below shows it doing some tricks in the park.

Auti - toy for autistic children

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 Z

Regular readers of Springwise may remember Skoog — the musical instrument designed specifically for children with special needs which we featured late last year. Now, hoping to help others with developmental disorders, Auti is a new toy designed by Helen Andreae for children with autism.

Andreae developed Auti as part an assignment for her Industrial Design degree at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Drawing on observations of a close friend’s autistic child, she noted how autistic children often found it hard to play with others due to a lack of control over their voice and body. This frequently scared other children away when they were trying to make friends. In an effort to improve interactions, she collaborated with child specialists to develop Auti, an interactive toy which helps teach autistic children positive play behaviors. The toy contains programmable sensors that can detect touch and sound, shutting down in response to negative behavior such as screaming and hitting, but responding positively to gentler behavior such as stroking and soft speaking. Auti is animal-like in appearance and action, designed to appeal to children with varying degrees of autism and to stimulate their imagination. Currently still a prototype, Auti is suitable for children aged six months and above, and Andreae claims she would like to broaden its functions for a range of teaching applications before considering producing Auti commercially.

Wireless dominoes

Thu, 24 Feb 2011 00:00:00 Z

Part of the challenge and excitement of setting up a domino chain is being careful not to accidentally knock one over, which will quickly undo all of your hard work. So when I first read about this Esper concept toy, which is basically a set of dominoes that can independently fall over and wirelessly trigger the next one in the chain to do the same, I thought it would take all the fun out of it. But after watching this video which demonstrates some of the unique ways the Esper dominoes can be played with, including being mixed in with traditional dominoes.

Tricking Lazy Gamers Into Learning Real Instruments

Sun, 15 Aug 2010 00:00:00 Z

For years, musicians have mocked those of us holding plastic guitars. Fair enough but we had fun! But with Rock Band 3, we learn what Harmonix was up to all along: Actually teaching us how to play real instruments.

With complex game design coupled with increasingly detailed peripherals, Harmonix has reimagined not only the nature of the music game genre but where video games can take us into the future.

It was a clever ruse. Hand us five buttons and a strum bar in the vague shape of a guitar. Sync the presses to an audio track and suddenly every awkwardly proportioned teenager thinks he's Bon Jovi. (After Harmonix reminded him who Bon Jovi was.)

The rhythm game genre is a multi-billion-dollar industry unto itself now. $80 is a small price to pay to feel like we are part of a band, to feel a little ersatz cool and talent to boot. The air guitar had been digitized.

Most games franchises stop here. Offer the player a challenging but surmountable task. Find a way to reward them to repeat said task. Scratch our collective OCD right behind the ears just enough to never quite satisfy us but stop us from walking away.

Most video games are extremely effective at coaxing us to work, but this work never produces anything much of merit. You may unlock things, virtual things, like a level 70 character in WoW with an epic flying mount. But when you walk away from the computer or console, you walk away as the same person, not as a spell-wielding Death Knight or something.

CapToy

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:00:00 Z

The CAPTOY is a toy block that only temporarily serves as a closure. Join adjacent two caps, and you made from two half-bricks a whole building brick! Stack these bricks in relation to each other, in any direction!

Current toy manufatcturers strive for minimal costs, while still producing waste. With CapToy, waste becomes a fun, safe and responsible toy. The more caps you have, in differnet colours, the more fun. CapToy stimulates creativity and encourages 3D thinking.

Rubik Cube For The Blind

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 00:00:00 Z

This one features different patterns engraved on the six surfaces, to stand for the green, blue, red, yellow, white and pink colors. But the difference is that these patterns used here are Braille, so that the blinders can play the game more easily. That's also an interesting toy for those sighted folks who want to learn Braille.

Snow Shorts

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 Z

Pull these shorts over a snowsuit and schuss downhill, lickety-split! Much more fun than pulling a sled—sit down, and you're off! You steer by shifting your weight. Foam-padded PVC seat is fused to the pull-on snowsuit shorts; six “runners” steer like a sled.

Bicycle Expands With Growing Kids

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 Z

This new innovation in bicycles is called the "Kilobike". It is designed to "expand the identity and usage of today's kids bikes."

This bike has the capability to expand along the years 6 to 12 years, multiple settings. Made to provide ergonomically correct conditions and "good outlook at all stages."

Toys integrated with augmented reality

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 00:00:00 Z

By way of a 3-D web tag which can be scanned with any computer's webcam, the new toys are linked to an online world of content which makes them "come alive" in an entirely new way.

According to Mattel, each action figure, vehicle, and creature in their new Avatar toy lineup will come with a 3-D web tab called an i-TAG which can be scanned using any computer webcam. After doing so, special content unique to that product will be revealed onscreen. The content will vary by toy, but will include things like biographical information, additional images, and 3D animated models showing off the action figures' "engaging, evading, or defending moves." Even better, scanning two of the i-TAGs will reveal an onscreen

Crayola colour wonder

Sun, 10 May 2009 00:00:00 Z

Colour Wonder from Crayola is a magic way of colouring, it only shows up on the special Colour Wonder paper.
There are 6 magic pens to use and the best part is it doesn't mark on anything but the Colour Wonder Paper!