Cinematic Steampunk Toys

Whether you believe the top at the end of Inception fell down or continued spinning infinitely, you have to admit that this electromagnetic spinning top is quite an inventive movie-inspired toy. Just watch the video and you'll see how, once in motion, this top doesn't stop and will continue spinning on even when it's been forcefully toppled over.

The electromagnetic spinning top comes courtesy of Conscious Flesh. They explain that, "Inside the brass top there is a small neodymium magnet which interacts with the coil hidden inside the wooden box. The circuit detects the position of the magnet and generates the magnetic pulse when the magnet is aligned correctly." That may have been a little confusing to take in, but so was the entire plot of Inception.

The electromagnetic spinning top is capable of spinning over 10 hours using only four AA batteries.

Implications - Consumers are responding positively to steampunk creations because it satiates their desire to be technologically inclined, but it also presents them with something familiar that they're readily able to empathize with. Corporations considering releasing new technologies may benefit from using product designs with elements that are highly familiar to consumers.