Copyright Michael Snively 2010
ElectroPlushies
ElectroPlushies are a set of plush toys I helped design that resemble large circuit components. Each has a pair of eyes that hint at the function of the component. For example, the 9V battery has energetic eyes.
and the LED has bright and happy eyes.
Each ElectroPlushie comes with a tag that describes what its component does in real life.
Apart from just looking like like circuit components, ElectroPlushies also have their respective circuit components inside of them. Wires, threaded through the plushy leads, are soldered to snap magnets.
ElectroPlushies function exactly like the electronics components they represent. When an LED is connected to a battery, the LED lights up. When a buzzer is connected in series with a button and a battery, the buzzer will buzz when the button is pressed.
ElectroPlushies are designed to teach young children about circuits as stuffed playthings and to provide adults a form of novel self expression as designer toys. The basic collection comes with five plushies: A resistor, battery, button, buzzer, and LED.
With an endless number of circuit components to represent, the ElectroPlushies family can continue to grow forever!
ElectroPlushies are currently on display at the MIT Museum, having also been displayed at the Lowell Rotating Museum and shown at the 2010 Toy Fair International in NYC.
