Hasta La Gadget!

Dolls can be creepy. Everyone knows that. But they have just upped the creep factor with this interactive smartphone controlled doll (some images at link NSFW) based on mascot character Mirai Suenaga. Just look at those eyes.

I guess Anime fans will love it, but to me it’s pretty freaky. The doll is going to be 60 cm tall and has been named simply the Smart Doll. Right now it is in the prototype phase. It has soft vinyl skin and 3D printed parts which were duplicated to generate wax clones and copper plated using electroforming. The robotics are all inside.

For movement of the hands, limbs and arms it has 24 small servo motors and hybrid servo motors. The CPU board sits in the doll’s head. It sports Bluetooth, an ultrasound sensor, a visual sensor, acoustic sensor, location sensor and a touch sensor. Somebody out there will no doubt love this doll. Me, I just want to run.

[via Damn Geeky]

Remember Jason Casteel’s cool Transfomers-meets-Doctor Who T-shirt? Thingiverse member Andrew Lindsey not only remembers it, he was inspired by it to make a 3D printed toy. Behold, TARDIS Prime in 3D! Vworp Vworp!

Andrew had to deviate from Jason’s drawing in order to make the toy transformable from a phone booth to a robot and vice-versa. At least he still has the red bow tie.

Andrew says he’s not fully satisfied with the toy. For one thing, the toy needs a lot of plastic to be printed, and it’s made of more than 70 parts. Also, it can’t stand on its own because it’s too top-heavy. I guess you could say that it’s… wibbly wobbly. YEEEEAA– Sorry. Andrew is thinking of designing a smaller version of the toy, but you can already print G1 TARDIS Prime if you want. Just download the files from Andrew’s Thingiverse page.

A few months ago we saw a couple of pillow cases that would be right at home in Aiur. This stuffed toy on the other hand is for those who are loyal to the Swarm. It’s a plush toy of the Zerg Overlord based on its apperance in StarCraft. You won’t be able to spawn more stuffted toys until you get one.

This huggable bundle of claws and neurons is from Etsy shop arixystix. Sadly, it’s going to take you a while to sew more Overlords. For one thing, the shop wasn’t selling the toy itself, just a sewing pattern for the toy. For another, the pattern is currently sold out. Or whatever the equivalent of that is in digital terms.

There, there. The Overlord knows exactly how you feel.

[via ThisIsWhyImBroke]

We’ve seen a handful of tiny arcade machines, but Tiny Arcade Machines is way better. It’s a shop owned by YouTuber dabarduba, an electronics engineer in the UK. He makes compact arcade machines that fit on your desktop or bar counter. They look like arcade cabinets with their lower halves chopped off.

As you can see, dabarduba not only knows his electronics, he’s also got a degree in Appropriately Cheesy Arcade Cabinet Design. His machines come in both 1- and 2-player configuration; they can be loaded with thousands of arcade classics or rigged to play console or PC games. Here’s one of his machines running Street Fighter x Tekken:

You can see more videos of the machines on dabarduba’s YouTube channel. He also makes even tinier – but still functioning – machines, which are perfect for playing just one game, just like a traditional arcade machine.

The arcade machines are not cheap – they cost between £399 to £950 (~$600 to $1,500 USD) – but neither are back surgeries. You can order a unit from the Tiny Arcade Machines website, which also looks like it was made two decades ago. Seriously sir, you would get way more clients if you updated your website.

[via ThisIsWhyI’mBroke]

Last year Kenji Ishida and his company Brave Robotics released 10 units of his awesome remote controlled car that can transform into a mecha. Unsurprisingly, all 10 units were bought, and there’s no word on when the company will release more. But you might not have to wait for Brave Robotics, because toy maker Takara Tomy is also working on a similar toy.

Before you accuse Takara Tomy of stealing Kenji Ishida’s work, lawyer down. Frankie of Hobby Media spotted Takara Tomy’s prototype at the 2013 Tokyo Toy Show, and apparently he also found out that Takara Tomy is collaborating with Brave Robotics. So we’re all good.

Frankie also said that he saw the toy transform, but he was asked not to film it as it was still a work in progress. Just to refresh your memory, here’s what Brave Robotics’ toy looks like in action:

I think I’ll save up for Ishida’s life-size transforming car.

[via Hobby Media]