Skip to main content

Furby/Alexa hybrid makes the creepy toy at least a little bit useful

I turned a Furby into an Amazon Echo. I give you: Furlexa

Why confine all the personality of your favorite smart home assistant into a cylindrical hub when she can live inside just about any microphone-enabled object you want? Such is the question Amazon Alexa users have been raising for years, and often, to pretty delightful results. Back in 2016, for example, we got to hear Alexa’s voice emanating from the Big Mouth Billy Bass, and now that it’s 2018, we’ll get to hear her coming out of a Furby.

Recommended Videos

The brainchild of a rather creative engineer, the result of the Furby and Alexa mashup is aptly named “Furlexa.” If you’re unfamiliar with the concept of a Furby, allow us to explain. This robotic toy first made its debut in 1998, and looks something like an owl but also a bit like a hamster. It’s a little bit creepy, but so are most toys that meet with incredible success (seriously, I can’t be the only person a bit alarmed by the Tickle Me Elmo). In any case, over 40 million Furbies were sold in the first three years of production, and now, at least one of those Furbies is being repurposed.

“I thought I’d make Furby a little less annoying and give him an upgrade with a real brain. Step aside, Tin Man,” explained Florida-based web developer Zach on his Howchoo page. “I give you: Furlexa,” he announced.

Making Furlexa was rather straightforward — in essence, Zach placed the open source Alexa software onto a Raspberry Pi Zero, and then added a few additional electrical gadgets and gizmos in order to splice the Raspberry Pi into the toy. But why did he choose the Furby?

“Furby is comprised of a few primary components — a microprocessor covered in black resin (to protect Tiger Electronics’ intellectual property), infrared and light sensors, microphone, speaker, and — most impressively — a single motor that uses an elaborate system of gears and cams to drive Furby’s ears, eyes, mouth and rocker,” Zach explained. “By driving the motor at varying speeds and directions and by tracking the cam position, the microprocessor can tell Furby to dance, sing, sleep, or whatever. Pretty cool.” And the only thing to make it cooler would obviously be an Alexa integration.

The entire enterprise cost somewhere in the $50 range, but if you value your time, you may not want to attempt to create Furlexa yourself. Zach said that the whole process took him a year, so unless you’ve some serious time to kill, you may want to just stick with Alexa living in your Echo.

Lulu Chang
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Amazon Alexa: A complete guide to using the voice assistant
Amazon Echo Show 10 angled on desk.

By now, you know Alexa as the ubiquitous digital assistant attached to Amazon’s lineup of smart speakers, screens, and home products. You’ve no doubt heard the name plenty, but when it comes to what exactly it can do in your home, that may be more of a mystery. If you’re ready to enter the world of home automation, save time, and streamline some of your day-to-day tasks, let’s get to know how to use Alexa.
What is Alexa?
Alexa is a virtual assistant created by Amazon. Put simply, Alexa is an artificial intelligence (A.I.) service that you can interact with by using various devices or through an app on your phone.
How can I access Alexa?
Alexa can be found on devices like Amazon’s Echo line of speakers and their video screen version, the Echo Show. Amazon is also constantly expanding its line of devices. For example, Echo Auto brings Alexa to your car, Echo Frames are built into glasses, and there are also Echo Buds earbuds.

There are also non-Amazon devices that work with Alexa. Devices like the Ecobee4 Smart Thermostat, iHome’s AVS16 Alarm Clock, LG’s Smart Instaview Refrigerator, and the Sonos One speaker are all Alexa-enabled. You can also read about the best Alexa-enabled devices here.

Read more
Alexa’s been a godsend in my home, but she can be a bit too chatty
Amazon Echo Dot (4th Gen) on table

As an on-the-road home theater installer, I was front and center for Alexa's integration with certain A/V components. Through the years of installing TVs, speakers, and other equipment, I watched as the cross-over between Alexa and other hardware rapidly improved. By the time I ditched the wheels for a desktop career, Alexa could turn TVs on/off, adjust volume, change channels, and could be found built into everything from soundbars to satellite speakers, TVs themselves, and more.

Flash forward four years. I'm the owner of two Echo Dots, so why not buy two more? I scored a Prime Day deal recently -- an Echo Dot two-pack for a price that was hard to say no to. I swear, the moment I clicked "confirm" the package was at my apartment door (Amazon is mighty fast with delivery when it comes to first-party hardware).

Read more
Using Alexa is tricky if you have a speech disability. Voiceitt could fix that
voiceitt speech recognition app 15 hi res nat receiving sports update via alexa

Voiceitt and Amazon Echo help improve independence for people with speech disabilities

Plenty of people, myself included, often talk about speech recognition as a great, intuitive way of interfacing with technology. Whether it’s asking your Amazon Echo to set a timer, tell you what the weather’s going to be like that day, or find a certain song on Spotify, speech is something so natural and effortless that we don’t even have to think about it. We take it for granted.

Read more