| Teddy Bears have been around for over 100 | | | | being developed to respond to the Teddy |
| years, but that doesn't stop designers and | | | | Bear's owners' voice, movements and even |
| inventors from coming up with wacky new ways | | | | facial expressions! |
| of using, altering, or (in some cases) | | | | |
| destroying them! | | | | With Microsoft showcasing a high-tech Spy |
| | | | Robot Teddy Bear at the TechFest trade fair, |
| From the innovative to the kitsch, the world | | | | the stage looks set for further investment |
| of Teddy Bears is full of inventive new | | | | and development into intelligent Teddy Bears |
| ideas, ranging from the wonderfully touching, | | | | capable of recording moments of your child's |
| to the downright weird! | | | | day, reading them a book, and even connecting |
| | | | to a parent's system in a remote location to |
| The Teddy Bear Gun | | | | enable them to 'program a repertoire for a |
| | | | child'. The possibilities seem endless! |
| Surprisingly, this isn't a joke! This | | | | |
| Japanese 'toy' has actually been designed to | | | | Initially, this Teddy Bear was designed to |
| make life easier at your wedding! Instead of | | | | plainly track someone's movement around a |
| throwing confetti at the bride and groom, the | | | | room, but since then, the whole project has |
| Japanese go one step further and throw Teddy | | | | exploded, and future plans for the Teddy Bear |
| Bears! | | | | will take this toy to an amazing level of |
| | | | sophistication. |
| Naturally, someone somewhere in Japan | | | | |
| realised that this tradition could be made a | | | | The Creepy Teddy Bear |
| whole lot easier if they had a gun to 'throw' | | | | |
| the Teddy Bears for them, and so created the | | | | This may be the strangest and most disturbing |
| Teddy Bear Gun. | | | | Teddy Bear I've ever come across, and slots |
| | | | into our 'weird' category perfectly! |
| This contraption-- produced by Japanese | | | | |
| paintball gun manufacturers, Sunamiya-- | | | | Called the somewhat reassuring |
| utilises the science behind their paintball | | | | 'TeddyBearBand', this 'cuddly toy' was |
| guns to thrust the Teddy Bear through a | | | | surprisingly designed by Philippe Starck who |
| transparent barrel, high into the air with a | | | | claims that 'an overabundance of toys fosters |
| simple 'click' of the trigger. | | | | infidelity' in children, leading him to |
| | | | create this kind of hybrid of Teddy Bears |
| Fortunately, no Teddy Bears are injured with | | | | soft toys that apparently meets all of a |
| the use of such a contraption as each bear is | | | | child's needs! |
| fitted with their own mini parachute, so they | | | | |
| glide safely and gracefully back down to | | | | With this Teddy Bear having a bunny for a |
| Earth to wish the bride and groom well on | | | | hand, and a dog for a foot, it certainly |
| their journey. | | | | packs more animals into a cuddly toy than the |
| | | | average Teddy Bear, but I'm worried about the |
| USB Teddy Bear | | | | dreams I'll be having tonight after seeing |
| | | | this thing, let along the effect it'll have |
| That's right, a data-storing Teddy Bear! At | | | | on a young child. |
| a first glance this is just a normal, cute | | | | |
| Teddy Bear, but once you pull its head off | | | | The Teddy Bear Remote Control |
| (Yes, you are required to decapitate this | | | | |
| poor Teddy Bear!), it suddenly becomes a USB | | | | This slightly odd-looking Teddy Bear, |
| memory stick, with the head acting as the | | | | designed by the innovative designer Leah |
| cap. | | | | Culver, doubles up as an all-purpose remote |
| | | | control. |
| When plugged in, it appears as though the | | | | |
| Teddy Bear is being sucked into your | | | | While maintaining it's softness and |
| computer! Poor thing. Maybe someone had a | | | | child-like appeal, this Teddy Bear makes a |
| score to settle? | | | | surprisingly effective, fully functional |
| | | | remote control. Squeeze the Teddy Bear's |
| We're not too sure when, or even if these | | | | chest to play/pause your program or film, and |
| Teddy Bears will come on to the market. So if | | | | change the volume with a soft pinch of the |
| you don't feel like waiting to find out, it | | | | ear. |
| can't be that hard to pull apart one of your | | | | |
| much loved cuddly toys… | | | | If you're really tempted, you can follow this |
| | | | online guide to make your own Teddy Bear |
| The Huggable | | | | Remote Control! |
| | | | |
| The 'Huggable' Teddy Bear definitely fits | | | | We really like this one! Slightly weird, but |
| into our 'wonderful' category! | | | | also somewhat wonderful! |
| | | | |
| This Teddy Bear is being developed to act as | | | | GPS Navigation Teddy Bear |
| a robotic companion for the ill, elderly or | | | | |
| infirm who are unable to enjoy the presence | | | | This cheeky but fun GPS-fitted Teddy Bear |
| of real animals, and the benefits this can | | | | (Navirobo) sits on your dashboard and directs |
| bring. The idea of the 'Huggable' was born | | | | you to your destination. But heaven forbid if |
| after clinical trials proved that animals can | | | | you take a wrong turn, for your cuddly |
| reduce stress levels in patients, but some- | | | | companion-- who even does a little jig when |
| due to allergies or local restrictions- are | | | | you finally reach your destination-- will |
| not able, or allowed to have access to such | | | | mock you! |
| animals. | | | | |
| | | | This is a great, laugh-out-loud Teddy Bear, |
| Making use of the latest sensate-skin | | | | designed and manufactured in (you guessed |
| technology, cameras in the eyes, microphones | | | | it!) Japan, will be a great addition to your |
| in the ears, wireless technology and data | | | | dashboard that will make your long journeys |
| collection techniques, the Teddy Bear has | | | | home far less tedious! |
| been intelligently designed to respond to | | | | |
| touch in the way a real animal would, and | | | | 'You Ain't Nothin' But a Hound Dog' |
| then communicate in an appropriate manner. | | | | |
| | | | When Barney the guard dog went on a rampage |
| The aim is to provide a helpful tool for care | | | | at Wookey Hole Caves, it was no ordinary |
| providers that is emotionally pleasing and | | | | Teddy Bear that became one of her victims |
| provides real, measurable health benefits to | | | | |
| patients. | | | | Mabel, made in Germany in 1909, who |
| | | | previously belonged to none other than the |
| This has to be the most advanced, forward | | | | King himself-- Elvis Presley-- lay mortally |
| thinking, technologically packed Teddy Bear | | | | wounded, surrounded by the remains of almost |
| we've ever seen! | | | | a hundred rare Teddy Bears, destroyed by the |
| | | | foul-tempered Doberman Pinscher. |
| Teddy Bear MP3 Player | | | | |
| | | | The Teddy Bears were on loan at the time of |
| Appealing to Teddy Bear fans the world over, | | | | the attack, displayed at Wookey Hole Caves, |
| this nifty little Teddy Bear MP3 player, | | | | Somerset. Mabel-- bought for $40,000 by Sir |
| capable of storing 128mb of audio, with a USB | | | | Benjamin Slade, an avid collector of Elvis |
| connection, and a liberal $78 price tag, | | | | memorabilia-- was, not-surprisingly, the star |
| seems set to become one of the most useful | | | | attraction. |
| and practical Teddy Bears available, without | | | | |
| compromising on cuteness. | | | | Barney, who was supposed to be guarding the |
| | | | Teddy Bear collection, worth over £400,000 |
| Created by Tomy, and weighing in at only 50g | | | | was wrestled to the ground among the remains |
| (excluding battery), this rather retro | | | | of the Teddy Bears, with "Heads pulled off, |
| looking product will offer you up to 8 hours | | | | arms, legs here and there, it was a total |
| of playback from a single AA battery! | | | | carnage really. I've never seen such a mess, |
| | | | there was stuffing, fluff and bear bits |
| With this MP3 player making Virgin Media's | | | | everywhere." |
| Top 10 Strangest MP3 Players list, we | | | | |
| couldn't resist mentioning it! | | | | Sir Benjamin was, understandably, not best |
| | | | pleased! |
| Teddy Bear Chair | | | | |
| | | | Do our Teddy Bears have feelings too? |
| As soft and as comforting as a 'real' Teddy | | | | |
| Bear, this eccentric Teddy Bear Chair was | | | | With so many weird and wonderful things |
| designed by furniture designer Matti Klenell. | | | | happening in the Teddy Bear world, it makes |
| | | | you wonder whether our cuddly friends have |
| Perfect for any Teddy Bear lover looking for | | | | feelings and emotions of their own. What |
| something completely different to furnish | | | | would they think of the crazy ideas we have |
| their home with, 'Mido' is an upholstered | | | | for Teddy Bears? Do they come awake at night |
| Easy Chair, shaped like a Teddy Bear, | | | | and remember our moments of cruelty? |
| originally displayed at the Agate Gallery, | | | | |
| Stockholm as part of an impressive solo | | | | Perhaps it is sometimes true that we form |
| exhibition. | | | | connections with the inanimate objects that |
| | | | we surround ourselves with and eventually |
| This Teddy Bear Chair just looks so cosy. | | | | humanise our Teddy Bears, and by doing this, |
| It's tempting me to just snuggle up to it and | | | | we begin treating them as if they have human |
| have a nap! | | | | emotions- pain, fear, love. |
| | | | |
| The Evil Spy Robot Teddy Bear | | | | Whatever the case, here at Funky Bears, we're |
| | | | sure the crazy Teddy Bear inventions will |
| No, this isn't the latest military project, | | | | continue, and we can't wait to see the next |
| but a Teddy Bear fitted with the latest and | | | | weird or wonderful ideas that people in the |
| most advanced technology. The Teddy Bear is | | | | same industry as ourselves will come up with! |