HexBug's MicroBots are kind of addictive. The Bot Bowl (sugar bowl that waddles away when you lift the lid off) was so fun and interesting that I bought another CRAB and am in the finishing stages of The Bot Ginger Jar. Here's a link to this one. Will do a video and post that url when it's done.
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I've abandond the feathers, pearls and beads idea and am going with fishing lures - the "gummy bear" type "stick on a hook" kind since they don't look like anything familiar and bounce around nicely. Have two more pieces in mind for this series. Will post things if they turn out half way interesting. I picked up a different HexBug bot - called The Inch Worm. It has a seven function wireless remote - inchworm foreward and back, rotate on an extending pedestal, turn left/right. The wireless remote is infrared so the piece will have to be pierced for the signal to get to the receiver.
These little critters have lots of interesting possibilities for adding movement
- and sound - to a turned piece. They also delight little kids - and scare the hell out of cats.
charlie b