Setting and adjusting Smart Doll eyes had always been a time-consuming task - until now. Introducing the Eye Cradle which makes it easier to set and adjust Smart Doll eyes.

Smart Doll's eyes are the most important facial feature. Each and every one is polished to a glossy finish so that you can see your reflection in them. Research shows that humans tend to prefer glossy surfaces, which most likely evolved from a need to seek water. In design terms, this is known as Gloss Bias.

If we ever have to dispose of a head for whatever reason, the eyes must be removed because the eyes contain the dolls soul.

Smart Doll eyes are positioned so that they are slightly crossed to give the illusion that they are looking at you. Positioning of the eyes is crucial - a difference of 0.1mm can make a world of difference between a doll looking cute or like a Karma Chameleon. In design terms, this is referred to as Magic Triangle - the relation between the position and size of the eyes, nose, and mouth that create an illusion of sentience.

Smart Dolls are shipped with the eyes attached to the head using blu-tac. This is much more costly than using a glue gun in terms of material cost and the time it takes to attach the eyes. However, this method not only enables us to adjust the position with precision, it also allows the owner to easily remove and reuse the blu-tac when swapping out eyes.

We have been trying to figure out a way to easily set the eyes in a Smart Doll head for many years spanning hundreds of prototypes - check the photo ;-)

The one-size-fits-all Eye Cradle fits most anime and semi-real style vinyl heads - the exception is Code Geass guys, Eiji, Crimson, Spike and Chitose Classic. 

The Eye Cradle has only been tested with Smart Doll acrylic eyes. It will not work with resin or third-party eyes without modification. 

Orange is taken from the orange arm that Chappie gets in the movie Chappie - go see it!

Ideal for

• If you are like me and have to change eyes on a regular basis then this should save you a ton of time.
• You may want to nab a few cradles and set different color/style eyes to each cradle which will save you time when swapping out styles.

How to use

The following video will help you use the Eye Cradle properly but if you are strapped for time then just read on.

Have a look a the 9 pack grid of photos - the first step is top left.

All you have to do is put blobs of blu-tac behind the eye, attach them to the cradle antenna and then insert the cradle into the head. Check the eye position so see if it looks odd - if it does, take out the cradle and adjust the eyes again - repeat until you feel that the eyes are in a position that doesn't give you the chills.

Adjust the eyes by tilting them left/right, move them horizontally or vertically, or add more blu-tac to move them forward.

The cradle is not fixed in place until the next step so you can easily adjust the eye position.

Finally, place a blob of blu-tac on the CJ logo and the sides if you want - then put the cradle back inside the head and push down on the cradle handle.

Make sure the cradle is attached securely or it could break free and rattle inside the head - a rattling doll is not something easily unseen.

The photos are just an example of how much blu-tac you should apply behind the eyes - too much and the cradle will be difficult to get in the head, too less and you will see gaps around the eyes.

You may have to squish the head opening slightly to fit in the cradle.

While this cradle improves efficiency in setting the eyes, it has no magic properties thus requires some ninja skill.

Reasons not to buy

• Blu-tac is not included with this product - use what came with your Smart Doll or get your own from Amazon, Office Depot etc. We have only tested this product with blu-tac so we do not know if other products work. If you ask us then we will do our best to give you a confused look face.
• The back of the cradle will get caught on the back of the head rim if you do not push the eyes down on the antenna enough. But if you push them down too much then there may be a gap between the eye and the eye hole.
• There may be black dots or other blemishes on the product which does not affect the functionality. If this is unacceptable then you should be closing the browser window now.
• Do not try to wear this on your finger as it could get caught on your knuckle. Likewise, do not wear it on any other part of your body - especially the....toes.
• This product was designed exclusively for Smart Doll.
• Remember that this does not work on Code Geass guys, Eiji, Crimson, Spike, Chitose Classic. It will only for two eyes on a Trident.
• This product only works with Smart Doll acrylic eyes.
• You only get one cradle when you buy one of this item.
• The photos show many cradles, eyes, dolls, tables, and other items which are not included.
• Does not work for Cortex heads.
• There are probably better and cheaper ways of attaching the eyes via different methods or other products on the market.
• This item is not suitable for folks who choose not to read the description thinking that it's a magical device or a bitcoin.

The future

As mentioned above, the eye position is crucial. While precision positioning of the eyes is possible with the Eye Cradle, I'm not confident at this moment in time to use the cradle as the default attachment method when shipping a doll. The reason is that a package could receive a number of bumps as it makes its way on a plane around the world which could dislodge the eyes and frighten its new owners upon arrival. 

I just realized that the Eye Cradle looks like a Minion if you attach an eye to the CJ Logo.

Concept by Seargent Chang.