It all started when I found a
circuit diagram of the
Furby. It showed that the Furby's
processor had a number of
input signals, such as "upside down", "
belly pressed" or "
light" that are triggered by certain
sensors. Thus, these sensors are the only "
senses" of the Furby. And since they are just simple
electrical signals, they can be generated by a
computer.
Now compare this to the Matrix, where the input signals of a human are also computer generated. Of course it's much more complex to produce brain inputs that are equivalent to what eyes and ears can deliver, therefore the Matrix is still science-fiction. But it's easy to generate a Furby Matrix, since a Furby only has such a limited amount of primitive senses.
Now, how would one create a Furby Matrix?
Well, first you need a Furby, which you have to open carefully. Then you disconnect all the processor input signals from the sensors, and route them to a central plug at the backside of the Furby (ideally at the neck of the Furby, for a truely faithful reproduction of the Matrix).
Then you need to interface the plug with your computer of choice and write a program that generates the input signals for the Furby.
Now your possibilities are endless. Turn on the Furby, and tease it. You can try what happens when you turn it upside down several times per second. Of course not by actually turning it upside down, but by sending the "upside down" signal to its processor using the computer.
The next step would be to hook several Furbies up to the computer, and generate a virtual world for them, where each Furby is represented by a data structure, and where the Furbies can interact with each other, like they do when you put them infront of each other.
Again, the outcome is unclear, since the Furbies are freed of their physical boundaries, their minds (i.e. processors) might come up with strange ideas.
Don't forget to put agents into your simulation program, which are just virtual entities that can activate a Furby's input signals, to tease it, for example a belly pressing agent, that roams around in the virtual world and presses the bellies of the Furbies.
Let your imagination run wild, and let me know if you come up with more ideas on that topic.