Welcome!

The History of Perceptual Motion

Hi. My name is Todd Strong and Perceptual Motion is the name of my business. I really like the name. For me it refers to things that move in a way that may not be obvious at first, but that make sense once one understands the physics involved. More than just comprehension, these toys and games also involve a certain amount of skill and practice before one masters them. Mostly, Perceptual Motion is an opportunity for me to share the joy I find in playing with relatively obscure toys and games that involve skill and challenge.

 

Perceptual Motion started in 1981 when I began making and selling devil sticks and diabolos at the Pike Place Market in Seattle. At the time, a juggler might have known what a devil stick or diabolo was, but many people in North America had never seen either one before. It was fascinating to watch people's reactions to my demonstrations and suggestion that they, too, might enjoy playing with such a toy.

 

Based, in part, on teaching so many people how to learn to manipulate these props, I have written books on these toys and am proud to think that, in a small way, I helped to make them popular in Europe and North America.

 

Most recently, I am excited about a new video and book on another fascinating activity, dice stacking. Magicians have known about stacking dice for many years. It is becoming more popular among jugglers. If you enjoy mastering skills such as juggling, magic, yo-yo, or similar activities, you might want to click over to the dice stacking page.

 

Future projects are a book and video on ball juggling.