By: Nick W
OK (believe it or not) this has been on my mind for some time.
I was thinking it would be kinda fun to install the mechanism of a remote control car into a lightweight modified shoe. You could just stand there in some public place, with one matching shoe on one foot and just a sock on the other. You could pretend to call your shoe and act annoyed that it doesn't come but insists on zooming around willy nilly.
Perhaps you could disguise the control in a rolled up newspaper, or better still have someone eles surreptisiously operating it for you.
At the end perform a shoe switch (modified Bobo switch - heh, heh- no actually maybe you could switch it as it comes in near the foot, ie. have a bag or briefcase nearby; the remote controlled shoe drives inside a secret compartment and you pick up a duplicate shoe and put it on your socked foot.) Uses, for eg if you are busking etc, you could use the shoe (instead of a hat) to collect money.
It wouldn't really matter if people knew it was remote controlled- a well designed shoe and a well executed switch at the end would actually render it quite a magical performance. Plus it would be lots of fun to see how people react to a shoe roaming around on its own accord.
Any one else have weird ideas that just might work?
By: The Almost Amazing Doug
Here are some ideas and suggestions to get you started.
While working in a mall store, I took a empty cardboard box without a bottom, covered it with Christmas wrapping paper,and put a ribbon around it with a bow on top. The ribbon ends were taped up inside the box instead of going across the open bottom. A "From: To:" tag completed the prop. This whole thing was set on top of a RC car (big tires = better results).
This contraption is set out in the mall, next to a bench. Invariably, someone sees the present, then reaches for the tag to see whom it belongs to...
At that moment, I'd move the present just a teensy bit. Man, do people jump. Then, just let it sit... They won't be sure if their eyes just played a trick on them. When they reach again, the present runs off...to another bench, waiting for the next person. People walking around get in on it, the person that just got "took" can't wait to see someone else get startled, and everyone has a great time.
Needless to say, our store sold a *lot* of R/C cars... hundreds during the Christmas season!
Overall, Jeeps and 4X4-style vehicles work the best, navigate over carpeting, not bottoming out, etc. Note that the car doesn't really need to be truly 4 wheel drive, just that style. Race cars generally won't do the trick; they're geared higher, and only work on flat surfaces. We want power, not so much speed; the trucks and Jeeps will still move plenty fast for our hacker needs.
ShopKo and Kaybee Toys have been excellent resources for me. Last year and this I found perfect vehicles for $15 each. I only use the full-function left/right/forward/stop/reverse ones, never the "goes forward/turns-in-reverse" kind. You'll grow tired really quickly with that sort! Last year's truck was hacked into a Halloween Spider, with spring wire legs covered with black fake fur, etc. The legs just brush the floor, and look like they're walking. The lower R/C car drive parts are covered with black velvet, the hairy body and legs are lightly air-brushed with fluorescent paint. Under the black-light, the drive mechanism is invisible.
I pull the body off of the car, then use light-weight materials (carvable foam, plastics, etc.) to create whatever form I need. Remember to try to keep your CG (Center of Gravity) as low as possible, and your overall weight minimal.
For your ShoeMobile, Walmart carries a small R/C car that comes in a plastic tube. Should be just about the right size, $19.99. Can't remember the make, but should be obvious when you see it. The styles are all regular car reproductions (VW bug, Dodge Durango, etc.) but should still be okay on fairly smooth flooring. Choose a lightweight shoe, remove the body of the car, cut hole in bottom of shoe, etc. You can disguise the antenna in a shoe lace. Cut away/remove as much of the shoe as you can to save weight...no boots, eh?
Best of luck...I can't say that I've ever owned an R/C toy that I haven't hacked into something else. Let me know if you need any help; you're in for a lot of fun!
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