Hackers gather on campus to take apart tech, toys

teddy toy hack 1

The best thing to do with that old teddy bear? Give it robotic arms.

That’s the sort of off-beat thinking that propelled a group of students through a “toy hacking” workshop held on campus last week.

Organized by Carmela Laganse, an assistant professor of Art, the workshop taught students how to reuse the electronics found in toys in new interactive objects – a low-tech, DIY activity.

“Toys are reflective of our culture and society – think of Barbie and Ken, or G.I. Joe,” says Laganse. “Their society roles are reflective in how their characters were manufactured. The workshop was really meant to help attendees explore creative developments in technology and reflect on the impact technology and art have on our everyday lives.”

“People are often discouraged by technology, they don’t always know everything about it,” she says. “The workshop was meant to help bridge the divide there, allowing people to literally break a toy and technology into pieces, to build something new.”