Toys of summer: whether you're hiking, chilling at the beach, or hanging on a rainy day, these high-tech toys deliver on fun—and science

Science World, May 6, 2002 by Nicole Dyer

THE VECTRON (REMOTE-CONTROLLED FLYING SAUCER)

WHAT IS IT? A flying saucer controlled not by aliens but by a hand-held remote. At your command, it lifts off, hovers, and flies--a first for any electric-powered toy. You can also program display messages like "Take me to your leader" on the saucer's rim. Note to the gung ho: "The Vectron has a high learning curve." says project director Barry Burlison at Science Tech in Brush Prairie, Wash. "I've trimmed every plant in my house flying it. But it's designed to with stand some crashing." The toy weighs only 98 grams (3.5 ounces) and its ring is crafted from a new durable light-weight plastic called expanded polypropylene.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Three whirling blades give the saucer a strong, noisy lift. Like those on a helicopter, the blades are curved on top and flat on the bottom--a shape called an airfoil: As blades rotate, air flows faster over the top and slower underneath. creating upward pressure that thrusts the saucer off the ground. To pilot the saucer, you thumb toggles on a hand-held controller that absorbs weak invisible beams of heat energy called infrared radiation emitted from the saucer--the same technology used to power your TV remote. All warm and hot objects (including you) emit the rays, but when focused into a beam they can be used to spark electric currents. "Push the toggle to the left. and the infrared rays activate a heat-sensitive electric current that speeds up the spinning blades in the left quadrant of the saucer," says Burlison.

FUN FACTOR? This toy is addictive. Once you master its flight, the Vectron is hard to put down.

PRICE TAG: $89

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SCIENCE TECH (METAL DETECTOR)

WHAT IS IT? Can't find your keys, change, or jewelry? This hand-held device hunts for buried metal treasure. The same technology inside this metal detector scouts out metal weapons like guns and knives at airports. "It can even detect fillings in your mouth," says Barry Burlison at Science Tech.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Embedded in the metal-detector head are three copper coils, When you flip the handle's "on" switch, an electric current generated by a 9-volt battery flows to the coils and produces a magnetic field, the area around a magnet (metallic object usually made of iron, nickel, copper, or cobalt) that exerts a pushing or pulling force. When the magnetic field passes through another metal object, it sparks the metal object to produce its own magnetic field--a process called electromagnetic induction. A receiving coil then detects the electric current and triggers the device to beep. The Science Tech metal detector senses metal objects buried up to 25,4 cm (10 in.) in the ground,

FUN FACTOR? We unearthed less-glamorous finds, like bottle caps and rusty tin cans.

PRICE TAG: $29.95

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MICROTALK (TWO-WAY RADIO)

WHAT IS IT? Keep tabs on friends and family at the beach, mall, amusement park, or camp-ground. Unlike a cell phone, this hand-held two-way radio requires no dial-up--just press a button to talk, release it to listen. While the maximum range is two miles, there's no charge to gab!

HOW DOES IT WORK? At the heart of all wireless communication--cell phones, radios, walkie-talkies--are radio waves, particles of energy that pulsate through space and matter (see diagram, p. 10). For example, each time you press the talk button on a two-way radio, an electronic device called a transmitter emits radio waves at a specific frequency, the rate at which a wave travels from one crest to another crest in one second, as measured by the unit hertz (Hz). An antenna on the other radio receives the signal, which is then converted electronically into an audible message. The radios can broadcast messages on 14 different channels within a band of assigned frequencies called the Family Radio Service (FRS).

FUN FACTOR? Hold the juicy gossip--anyone can tune in to your conversation!

PRICE TAG: $30

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Did You Know?

* Remote-controlled electronic devices work by manipulating infrared waves. When you press the TV-remote "on" button, a beam of infrared light waves travels through the air to your TV set. The beam pulses electrical signals in binary code (a computer-friendly number system that uses a combination of the digits 0 and 1.) A microchip inside the set's receiver decodes the signal and transmits specific electrical currents to complete the "on" command.

Cross-Curricular Connection

Social Studies: Research and report on the social impact of the world's first electronic games.

CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING

Directions: Complete the puzzle by answering the questions below.

1. Helicopter blade shape that's curved on top and flat on the bottom --.

2. Magnetic field: area around a magnet that exerts a pushing or pulling --.

3. Rate at which waves travels from one crest to another in one second :--.

4. The answer in number three is measured in --.

5. Particles of energy that pulsates through space and matter: -- --

6. The scientific study of sound: --

7. Baseball bat's sweet spot: --