When self-proclaimed "serial entrepreneur" Roger Schiffman connected a tennis ball to a power source, he had no idea it would become "the toy of the last decade" -- Furby.
Schiffman, who has been inventing toys such as the Gigapet and Skip-It for over 20 years, spoke to an audience of about 50 at the Weiss Tech House Thursday.
In its three years of production, Furby, an electronic animal toy, sold over 40 million units, and its speaking capabilities were translated into 24 languages. According to Schiffman, the technology inside Furby was as advanced as that for the first mission to the moon.
"The appeal of the Furby was based on its ability to communicate both with kids and other Furbies -- the nurturing effect," he said.
At the peak of its popularity, Furby was banned from National Security Agency premises based on the false belief that it could record nationally sensitive intelligence conversations.
"I went on Dan Rather's show ... and said, 'There's no recording device in the Furby.' And this was the NSA, who didn't even call to ask, or take it out of the box," Schiffman said. "My wife came home to me and said, 'You know we're going to be audited for the rest of our lives now.'"
Schiffman -- who has a charity that supports the Starlight Starbright Children's Foundation for chronically and critically sick children -- survived a brain tumor to continue his legacy in the toy-making industry.
"I don't do the engineering. I don't do the commercials. I don't do the animation. I'm just a person who directs. I love the idea of a kid lighting up when they see my toy," Schiffman said.
Speaking to a crowd of mostly Engineering and Wharton students, Schiffman gave tips on marketing and inventing in a competitive industry.
"How much can we make [a product] do at a lower cost? That's the key," Schiffman said. "We went to Wal-Mart with Internet-based products, and they said, 'Our customers don't have computers.' You have to know the market."
Students and faculty responded enthusiastically to Schiffman's energetic style.
"It's nice to have someone so interesting and in love with what he's doing," Digital Media and Design Associate Director Amy Calhoun said.
Students also found the presentation practical.
"I have a lot of ideas, but that's not the hard part. The hard part is making it happen," Engineering sophomore Tal Raviv said.
Despite working in the industry for over two decades, Schiffman is still passionate about his inventions.
"It's almost like giving birth to a child. It's amazing," Schiffman said.
