Furby Stress Test

In the interest of public safety we decided find out what might happen to a Furby toy if it received a direct lightning strike. This information is important should someone be ill-advised enough to run through an open field during a thunderstorm while holding a Furby above his/her head as a makeshift umbrella. Utilizing a bewildering array of incredibly advanced scientific equipment, we attempted to answer the question posed above. Only through rigorous scientific testing and analysis can important questions such as this be answered, and only products that survive can receive certification.

Background facts

• - Lightning is a natural electrical phenomenon. A single bolt can reach several miles in length.
• - Furby is a cuddly little animatronic toy made by Tiger Electronics, Ltd.
• - A lighting bolt can develop millions of volts and many thousands of amperes. Peak power can reach the gigawatt range.
• - Furby operates on 1.5 volt “C” batteries.
• - A lightning bolt instantly superheats the air around it creating an intense acoustic shockwave that we hear as thunder.
• - Furbies speak their own language in a high, irritating, singsong voice.

Test Setup

After a great deal of research our technicians decided that the millions of volts and hundreds of thousands of amperes in a typical lightning stroke might actually be a tad much for our test. We decided to use 20,000 volts at approximately 4kVA for an extended duration. Instead of vaporizing the Furby in a split second, this would allow us to study the toy’s failure mode. That is if it failed at all. We are still hoping to someday find a product that can survive our tests and be certified.

After the testing methodology had been decided upon, we set up our highly complex, advanced, and sinister looking testing equipment. The Furby was placed on a conductive pizza pan which was connected to one side of our state-of-the-art 20,000 volt power supply (pole transformer). In this test the pizza pan simulates the ground beneath a Furby in a lightning storm.

Next a rod electrode was placed approximately one inch away from the infrared sensor in the Furby’s head. This infrared sensor allows a Furby to actually detect motion around it. If you enter a room containing a sleeping Furby, it will wake and start asking you to play with it (seriously!). If you do not play with it, the Furby will engage you in a test of wills by asking again, and again, and again….

Observational notes:

No power applied. Furby appears normal. Animatronic and sound electronics functioning. Ears moving up and down. Toy saying “Cock-a-doodle-doo” and making other odd sounds.

Supply transformer energized to 20,000 volts. Immediate arc to the top of the toy. Total instantaneous insulation failure (TIIF). Continuous application of high voltage arc for a good five or ten minutes more…we sort of lost track. Power supply functioning within normal operational parameters.

Power discontinued. Unaided and vigorous self-combustion observed. NOTE: At this point after being completely silent during the test, the Furby started rocking back and forth while making creepy buzzing and whirring sounds. Some of our technicians having seen one too many horror movies fled the facility in terror and have yet to return. One remaining technician began screaming “Die Furby die!!!” and before he could be properly restrained and sedated, turned on the power again. This quieted the sinister animatronic toy menace for good….and also reduced it to a pile of ashes.

Complete and catastrophic product failure. Toy completely carbonized.

Conclusion

This toy failed our test miserably. We find its lack of lightning resistance disturbing. Its tendency towards unaided self-combustion could prove a problem as well. Our conclusion was that none of us would want to be caught in the middle of a field in a thunderstorm with nothing but a Furby for shelter.

See the video!

(.mov format)