My dog loves toys that move or make noise on their own. Unfortunately, she destroys anything small enough to fit in her mouth. The solution would be an electronic ball.
The ball would have inside it an off-center weight, and motors that moved the weight on two axes, thus allowing the ball to roll itself in any direction. The ball would not run continuously. It would be sensitive to loud noises and vibrations, so that the dog could bark or touch the ball to activate it. Once it had been activated, the ball would roll around randomly for a period of time, making an appealing noise. When the ball had come to a complete stop, it would deactivate itself and the cycle would start again. If the battery died, one could separate the two halves of the shell by twisting them apart(something a dog couldn't do), allowing the replacement of the battery.-- whippinggas, Apr 11 2005 PetBall Exactly the same, but different. [whippinggas, Apr 11 2005] Not at all the same.... Urban_20Remote_20Herding_20Array....but different [normzone, Apr 11 2005] Crazy Dog Bumble Ball http://www.amazon.c...-Ball/dp/B0002H3SCIEverything but the sound activation. [Shz, Sep 12 2006] sphericon-- JesusHChrist, Apr 11 2005 The battery could charge from the movement the dog gives it. The battery goes dead, the dog examines and presto! the ball moves again.
(please note that I carefully refrained from making a comment about goldfish)-- zeno, Apr 11 2005 Yes, sphericon, and self energized....
Bigger models for kids, and to hand out during drinking games on spring break, oiled, watching stupid drunks fall over the rolling spericons and loving every minute of it.-- daseva, Apr 11 2005 Don't they have these? I had a ball with a counterweight and a battery, and it opened with a little twist...
Oh, this one is sound activated. Well, I guess that's different.-- ye_river_xiv, Sep 12 2006 Am I the only one who saw that title and thought "Robotic Testicle"?-- Galbinus_Caeli, Sep 12 2006 A Bumble Ball, [ye_river_xiv]?-- Shz, Sep 12 2006 random, halfbakery