Real Toy or Trick?

Discussions of new films, books, television shows, and media indirectly related to magic and magicians. For example, there may be a book on mnemonics or theatrical technique we should know or at least know about.
Jonathan Townsend
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Real Toy or Trick?

Postby Jonathan Townsend » September 3rd, 2015, 10:00 am

Here's the Star Wars BB8 as a toy
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2 ... ero-disney

add this to your cups routine?
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P.T.Widdle
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby P.T.Widdle » September 3rd, 2015, 11:37 am

This is the long-awaited Star Wars version of the Sphero robot. There are school versions that I use in technology classes that I teach, because you can program this little bot to do a surprising amount of things. Some fun magic applications, perhaps...

Brad Henderson
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby Brad Henderson » September 3rd, 2015, 11:45 am

My high school buddy works for the Sphero company. He sent me one. It is a super cool toy! Have even considered magical applications.

P.T.Widdle
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby P.T.Widdle » September 3rd, 2015, 12:06 pm

The see-though ones are very cool.

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby Jonathan Townsend » September 3rd, 2015, 12:14 pm

Can you program the sphero to wait, roll a set distance then stop? IE it rolls itself from position to position during a cups routine.
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

Pete McCabe
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby Pete McCabe » September 4th, 2015, 10:09 am

I'd love to see this trick with a BB-8.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpvEmNKyg9A

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erdnasephile
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby erdnasephile » September 4th, 2015, 10:32 am

That's a cool trick, Pete.

I think it'd even be more effective with a device that looks stationary, but secretly isn't.

Now that I think about it: in an angle controlled setting, a lateral thinker like Wiseman might be the ideal guy to fool P & T.

Jonathan Townsend
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby Jonathan Townsend » September 4th, 2015, 11:20 am

? that looks great!
Mundus vult decipi -per Caleb Carr's story Killing Time

P.T.Widdle
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby P.T.Widdle » September 4th, 2015, 12:45 pm

You can program it to do all those things, Jonathan. To help it come to a full stop, it should be on a soft smooth surface, kind of like a large close-up mat.

Pete McCabe
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby Pete McCabe » September 5th, 2015, 12:39 am

There's a DIY stage illusion where you produce a person with two cardboard boxes. You could program BB-8 to perform this trick close up on a table. That would be seriously cool.

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Richard Kaufman
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby Richard Kaufman » September 5th, 2015, 2:43 am

There are two versions of this figure. The small one noted in this thread, and a much larger one made by another company under license. The larger one has fewer functions, but is about four times as big (at least).
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Pete McCabe
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Re: Real Toy or Trick?

Postby Pete McCabe » September 5th, 2015, 6:22 pm

You could produce the big one on stage with the same DIY-cardboard-tubes method. That would be a sensational trick for a school show. The tubes pack flat and weigh little. No assistant required.


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