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A stuffed animal can be an easy way to entertain or comfort an infant, but this plush giraffe called the Bounceroo goes above and beyond the call of duty by automatically rocking a bouncer, car seat, or crib while you attend to other things.
Given the motor and electronics needed to make it work, Gerry the giraffe isn’t designed to join a child in bed while they sleep. But it will still be near by providing moral support and a soothing distraction to help kids drift off.
Powered by four D-sized batteries good for about six weeks when used half an hour every day, the Bounceroo can operate at one of four different rocking speeds and has a built-in timer to automatically turn off after half an hour of motion. It’s strong enough to rock kids up to 10kg in weight, and for portability the neck is removable (don’t let your kids see you doing that) so it can easily pack away.
The creators have turned to Indiegogo to help raise $US35,000 in funding to make more Bounceroos, and the base version can be pre-ordered with a donation of just $US90. But if you also want the extended neck so the giraffe can reach the edge of a crib, you’ll need to go for the $US120 version.
The Bounceroo is expected to ship as early as July of this year, but given there are only seven days left in its Indiegogo campaign and it’s nowhere near its funding goal, it’s probably best to take that with a grain of salt. But its creators have been working on their product for years now, and a failed Indiegogo campaign probably won’t derail the project completely. It just means that by the time yours arrives, your baby might not be a baby anymore. [Indiegogo – Bounceroo via InventorSpot]