A NERF gun’s evolution

Over at his personal blog, toy designer Barry Kudrowitz, a PhD candidate of the MIT Toy Lab, breaks down his design process for the Nerf Atom Blaster from the original concept — a palm-sized foam ball projectile called the Hand Popper — to production. I actually think the Hand Popper is a good deal neaterthan the finished product.

The Atom Blaster [Wonder Barry via MAKE]

1. [Piers W]

   @3

   O.K.

   I’ve been Alanis rolled. Do I have to click on something to keep the process going?

2. [TJ S]

   @1:

   Irony?

3. [Mr_Voodoo]

   @2:

   William Gibson gave a talk/lecture on the failure of irony in modern science fiction (as the present if far more ironic than fiction can hope to approach without seeming ridiculous.) Check it here:

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v9yUVgrmPY

4. [Anonymous]

   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghF6EzSpBlk
   Yeah this is just propaganda… but its related.

5. [Felix Mitchell]

   “This mechanism of projecting balls is patented.”

   What?
   I like his designs, but the mechanism is just one of those popping toys that jump off tables… held in place and with a ball on top.

   Anyone who’s played with a hopper popper knows you can put stuff on top and it’ll fire it up in the air. This shouldn’t be patentable.

6. [Mr_Voodoo]

   I don’t know. Considering the Nerf factory riots currently underway…

   Is there a word for unintentional contextual bad taste?