HackFurby Frequently Asked Questions
This is stuff I get asked. All the time.
If you can't find your answer here, look around the site, and read the
Unsorted
page and the News
page.
Read this article: http://ai.tqn.com/library/weekly/aa101398.htm
Interaction With Environment:
Sound (loud noise) sensor
Light sensor
IR communication
Tummy (tickle) sensor
Back (pat) sensor
Personality:
Has a voice that can speak in 3 or 4 different tones(1 is chosen after
each hard reset).
When restarted, it chooses a name(in Furbish).
When restarted, it chooses an energy level(some are lazy, others very
talkative).
It gets sick(sneezes) when it isn't fed.
Communication:
Two Furbies interact through their IR ports. Not a whole lot
is known about this system, but I'm getting there. Colds can be transmitted.
They can urge each other to sing/dance, etc. I saw a post on deja...
this guy said that his furby(very advanced) swapped minds with a dumb furby.
Personality, name, vocabulary. All of it. I don't believe the
post for a second, though.
Growth:
Looks like the more you interact with your furby(play games like hide
and seek and furby says, pet him, feed him, tickle him, etc), the faster
he'll learn english.
How can I HackFurby?
Depends on where your expertise or interest lies. If you have
a remote control and you want to see what is possible, check out HackFurby
with Remotes. If you are more interested in the components in the
Furby, check out the Inside Furby page. If you want to build or use
a programmable remote with the Furby, check out HackFurby with Electronics
and IR Links.
Have you tried this piece of equipment?
I've used or am using:
A digital camera(to detect ir signals)
A radio shack ir detector card(to detect ir signals)
A windows95 PC with a CIR circuit and a 3rd party software tool called
powerir
A furby
A palmIII upgrade for my pilot(with an IR signal transciever)
OmniRemote Software for
the pilot from PacificNeoTek.
I'd like to use, but don't have the $:
A logic analyzer
Another furby
How can I contact you?
I read the discussion group and my email.
How can I advertise on HackFurby?
Send me email. Depending on the ad, I might accept a PalmIII
upgrade in exchange for a couple months service.
Don't you have anything better to do with
your time?
Currently, I'm a software developer, husband and father. Occasionally,
I get some time for 'fun' stuff. This is my 'fun' project for now.
Where can I buy a Furby?
Toy Stores, Yahoo Auctions, Ebay, etc.
Where can I buy a Furby for $30?
Be patient, they are ramping up production, it seems, and Furby's are
in stock at Toy Stores everywhere for longer periods of time now.
Will you link to my site?
Only if you have new technical data about the Furby.
Will you build a circuit for me?
I got $$$$!
No. I don't have the time at this point.
Mirrors?
I truly believe that the Furby can only do one thing at a time.
So I don't think the mirror trick would work. He probably doesn't
listen and send IR at the same time.
Other Furby Hacks
Replace the microcontroller? That'd be cool, but I have to scrounge
up the time just to figure out the IR protocol. Don't have any extra
for another Furby-based project. I'd love to see it happen, though.
Let me know when you start messing around and maybe I can give you a hand!