This Forgotten Device Was The Key To Endless Fun!
September 20, 2024
source: Reddit
Have you ever taken an old childhood teddy bear or any other soft toy and it made a sound that you are very much familiar with? Perhaps it told you, ‘I love you!’ or it sung a melody that would put you to sleep. Well, if you did, you are a lucky one since one of the most hidden and cherished technologies from our childhood days is the voice box in a stuffed animal.
This small object, which usually isn’t very important or may not even be noticed at some point in time, contains the key to how our beloved teddy bears and other toys were made. In the palm of your hand, this small, plastic gadget is what makes a regular stuffed animal almost seem alive. It is the soul of the toy, it is hidden but plays an essential role in generating the fun.
The voice box in stuffed animals is rather a rather simple and yet quite incredible device. Often a battery operated or sometimes mechanical, these small gadgets are loaded with a certain message, song, or voice. In older models for example the one illustrated here screws are used to join the casing thus protecting the sound chip and the speaker.
If one squeezes or presses the device, a connection is formed and the sound which has been recorded is played back. While modern voice boxes may have the capability to produce several sounds, there are the older versions which only have a few short phrases or melodies. However, the sentimental benefit that they gave to their owners was very high.
To most of us, a voice or sound coming out of a favorite stuffed animal brings back memories that are so nostalgic, so childhood-like. I wonder how a tiny device can provoke so much emotions in people’s hearts. The voice box did not only enable the toy to speak but it made it to have a personality which made it to seem as though it was real and part of us.
Such devices evoke a lot of nostalgia. That is why when they are not working or are taken away it feels as if a part of childhood is being taken away. However, for those who are privileged to have a friend that is a stuffed toy but can still talk or sing, then the enchantment is not over yet.
Although, voice boxes of today are more technical with digital voice recordings and even personal greetings, this one in your hand is something simple yet has brought so much happiness for the past few decades. In an age where toys are no longer simple and no longer require captivating screens and high tech features, a simple voice box is enough to make kids happy.