Electric top with a motor, switch at the point that the top touches the ground a battery and a disc. You put the top on the ground and the switch activates (spring /contact etc) and the motor turns on. The motor spins the disc at the top of the top anticlockwise. You spin the top clockwise. The disk has bumps on it to cause friction and the second law of motion kicks in so the top continues to spin until the battery goes flat or you pick it up and the spring releases the switch stopping motor and disc from spinning.

Next generation battletop.
-- Braindead, Mar 18 2006

i-Top LED Game http://www.thinkgee...eektoys/games/6b1d/
Six different games in one electric top. [jurist, Mar 18 2006]

You seem to be relying on the friction of the motorized disc with the air to keep the top moving, overcoming the friction of the spinning point where it comes into contact with the ground. That ain't gonna be enough.

I think you need fan blades on top. I'd certainly like to see one of these working.
-- DrCurry, Mar 18 2006


I thought it might be a sort of spinning coat that kept you warm by friction as it rotated.... sadly it's not.
-- xenzag, Mar 18 2006


Actually my initial thought was for fan blades but I felt it may cause parents concern so I opted for a smooth surfaced top and a high friction spinning disc feeling this would be sufficient to maintain the spinning momentum.
-- Braindead, Mar 18 2006


I did manage to find a Chinese "electric spinning top," complete with what looked like fan blades, but they managed to disable the features in the pop-up window, so I am unable to link to it. (And the original link was in the Google cache.)
-- DrCurry, Mar 18 2006



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