The main problem with electric toys is the batteries. Or the cord. So, it makes sense that there are not many electric teddy bears out there for sale. A warm teddy bear is something that you might want to curl up with, but batteries won't last the night --nor do you want to accidently strangle yourself on the power cord.
What to do? Let us consider a microwave oven for a moment. This device is specially designed to heat water, more than it is designed to heat anything else. It just happens that almost all food has significant water content, and so if the water is heated, then the hot water heats the food. And the ceramic dish, holding the food, has no water content, and so does not get heated by the oven.
The key fact is that the microwaves in the oven (high-frequency radio waves) are specially tuned to resonate with water molecules, like a singer resonating a wine glass until it breaks --but water molecules don't break easily; they just get hot instead.
Well, microwaves can be tuned to other frequencies, than the one that heats water. Suppose our teddy bear was filled with a variety of silica gel that had no water content. (NOTE I'm using silica gel as an example. Feel free to imagine any appropriate alternate substance.) In this case we could theoretically create a microwave radiator that would be tuned to the resonant frequency of the silica gel --and nothing else. This means we could safely put this radiator in a bedroom, and aim its output at a bed, and the occupant of the bed would not be affected in any way --but our teddy bear on that bed would get as warm or as hot as wanted, depending on the power (adjustable, of course) of the microwave beam.
Next, it is possible to convert microwaves directly into electricity, and in various experiments has been done with quite good efficiency (more than 85%). So, our teddy bear not only could be directly warmed by that microwave beam, it also could be remotely powered by it, so that various items of electric functionality could be built into the teddy bear. A vibration source, for example. An alarm clock, possibly. I shall end this Idea here, leaving you-all to think of your own enhancements, be they mundane or kinky.-- Vernon, Apr 11 2006 Poor mans version. http://www.westons....r_Bottles_3726.htmlI suppose you could microwave the water. [2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 11 2006] not all teddys are called Rupert or Pooh http://www.dimout.c...-teddy-teddies.html [po, Apr 11 2006] laser that heats fat, but not skin http://www.physorg.com/news63806610.html [bleh, Apr 24 2006] Beddy Bear http://www.bloomins...php?products_id=112 [Five_Swords, Apr 24 2006] I understand that technology is a wondrous and miraculous thing and that in theory this would be a safe and viable way of giving my kid a nice, warm, and fuzzy teddy bear at night. However- the thought of aiming a microwave emitting machine at him all night while he sleeps just fills me the heebie jeebies. Sounds like something they would've done back in the twenties, not knowing that it would cause insanity or tumors.
Then- "Oh, is eating mercury bad for you?"
Now- "Oh, is aiming a microwave at you heart all night bad for you?"-- NotTheSharpestSpoon, Apr 11 2006 The verdict is still out on the controversy of cell phones causing brain tumors, and I'm sure this is where your concern stems from. That's why this Idea can be called half-baked.
Next, and believe it or not, there are serious proposals out there to use low-power ordinary microwave-oven frequencies inside a house to heat the people in winter, instead of heating the house. Very energy-efficient. (This Idea, of course, was to use microwaves of a frequency that CANNOT affect people, and so I wonder why you seem to think that people would be affected.)-- Vernon, Apr 11 2006 This is a well thought-out, cleverly explained idea. You'd better make sure that what's heated in the bear does not exist *at all* in humans, not even a trace, no matter what the person has eaten. There's a risk that Substance A, in the bear, could have accidentally been swallowed by the child and then you turn on the heat and bake your own child.
Is it really worth it, for one heated teddy bear? Fishbone.-- phundug, Apr 11 2006 It's a nice idea, but it seems a bit unnecesary and extravagant. Very half-baked.-- notmarkflynn, Apr 11 2006 a lot of those adverts for hot water bottles boast that they do NOT contain gels. I'm not sure what the problem there is.-- po, Apr 11 2006 [lurch], a lot of breast implants these days merely use saline solution. Nevertheless, I specifically stated that I mentioned silica gel as an example, so that the Idea could be described. Using some other substance, such as the ethylene glycol of antifreeze, would just mean using microwaves of a different frequency. Also, I might mention that some of the annotations seem to imply that the microwave beam would be fixed at some high power level, and that is not what was written in the main text. Should I change the title to "Teddy Bear Warmer"?-- Vernon, Apr 11 2006 I misread this as "Hot Toddy Bear". I'm thoroughly disappointed.-- jonthegeologist, Apr 11 2006 [Vernon], for a minute there I thought you were building up to inventing the hot water bottle.-- Texticle, Apr 11 2006 er, can I just pop in a note of caution here? [vernon] it's pretty unlikely that you will get silica gel with no water content - it's extremely hygroscopic. The water that it adsorbs can however be removed quite effectively by a gentle oven heating. *Microwaving* it would probably cause it to pop/split/crack/explode? as water deeper in the beads boiled.
Ok, all the kiddies have now been warned.
[jtg] I read it as Hot Teddy Bear, but thought it was something about bears wearing risque babydolls....-- ConsulFlaminicus, Apr 13 2006 "See, Darling, our sweet little angel all tucked up with her Hot Teddy Bear. Doesn't she look radiant?"-- baconbrain, Apr 13 2006 I might mention that this Idea was somewhat inspired by an adult coworker who announced one morning that she had been peacefully asleep "all curled up with her teddy bear", and was woken at midnight by a phone call, which she did not appreciate. I'm not accusing her of any odd behavior, but that last word in the main text of this Idea was added for a reason.... :)-- Vernon, Apr 13 2006 Sorry to say, but regular microwaves are not tuned to the resonant frequency of water, they heat any other bipolar liquid just the same, even oils.
Pluche toys with kinky appendages would be cool though...-- nietsch, Apr 14 2006 + //It's a nice idea, but it seems a bit unnecesary and extravagant. // You're point being?-- DrBob, Apr 24 2006 Baked. See link.-- Five_Swords, Apr 24 2006 Thanks, [jutta]. [po], I like your link. [Five Swords], besides keeping the bear warm wirelessly, the Idea includes giving the bear some wireless electrical power. Your link certainly doesn't mention anything like that.-- Vernon, Apr 25 2006 random, halfbakery