Limbo is the actual spinning top from the movie Inception, and can spin for over 10 hours depending on the version you get. The basic version spins non stop for 4 hours and the other upgraded versions can spin up to 40 hours non stop.
LEARN MORE about the limbo before it’s fully funded! If you’re quick enough you can get special discounts and deals on this before it’s fully funded on Kickstarter. (Opens in new tab)
For those who aren’t aware, the film Inception is a very popular lucid dreaming movie in which they use ‘totems’ to recognise when they’re in their own dreams. These totems are small objects that have unique characteristics, and one of them (probably the most commonly remembered one) is the spinning top that spins FOREVER in a dream but topples in real life. Here’s an example of what I mean:
Well, a new company on Kickstarter called Fearless Toys, has created a real life spinning top that looks identical and ACTUALLY spins for hours on end. Usually a spinning will spin for anywhere between 1-3 minutes or less.
This spins for up to 40 HOURS and looks incredible. They have packed some clever science into this which I’ll get onto in a minute, but for now, watch their video.
How does the Limbo spinning top work?
The Limbo is just a small spinning top with some clever mechanics inside it.
It looks the same as the top from Inception but with some subtle differences. In fact the only main difference is what’s inside.
If you’ve watched the video I included above, or if yo’ve gone to the Kickstarter page you will have seen that inside the spinning top is a mechanical gyroscope.
This is powered by either a rechargeable battery (standard edition) or a non rechargeable battery for the ‘world record package’ version which spins for longer. The gyroscope powers the spin and knows when to slow down or speed up because it responds to information from the small chip included in the spinning top.
It’s a very clever idea, and would look amazing on a desk and certainly raises questions from people who see it spinning and don’t know why it’s not stopping!
Now, I can’t actually review this spinning top yet because it’s not been full funded and no one has received one yet but as soon as I get one I’m going to update this page with some videos and more information about the spinning top, and maybe a compilation of it spinning on various funny surfaces.
Difference between standard Limbo and world record Limbo
There are a few versions of the Limbo, mostly just changing the metal it’s made out of but one upgrade is a much more expensive ‘world record edition’ which is not rechargeable and spins for up to 40 hours non stop. Personally I prefer the look of the standard edition which is a LOT cheaper, and can be recharged in less than 30 MINUTES. That’s insane! Also when would you need to spin it for longer than 4 hours anyways?
What happens when the batteries dead?
The Limbo spinning top still spins when the battery is dead from the looks of things and can get an average spin time of about 3 minutes. That being said if the battery is gone you could just charge it and go again, as the charge only takes 30 minutes.
Where to get the Limbo
For now, the only place you can order a Limbo spinning top is by going to their Kickstarter page and pledging to support it. They have various rewards and tiers of pledge, and you can different things depending on how much you offer them. Get in quick so you don’t lose out on the best early bird rewards and prices, because they’re limited spaces!
