Man Creates Homemade Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots with Balloons For Heads

A man in Toronto, Ontario created clever homemade versions of Rock ‘Em Sock ’Em Robots using IKEA artist’s figures, balloons, and metal shields and swords.

Rienard Knight-Laurie created the figures, recorded this video and posted the footage to Twitter on February 19. He told Storyful he originally saw a version of the game on Instagram, with a user using plastic tubing for the limbs.

“I thought IKEA mannequins would give more lifelike movement since they are spring loaded,” he said.

He added that he plans to use his creation as a drinking game, “with cut proof gloves and goggles for protection.”

“A friend suggested calling it HeadShot, as in your balloon pops and you must take a shot,” he said, explaining that he plans to make a few changes such as bending the rods for the shields to allow for better control, adding non-skid material on the base, and getting a “small hand pump so the balloons can be inflated a consistent amount.” Credit: Rienard Knight-Laurie via Storyful

Video transcript

- Pretty together.

- Yeah. Good.

- Great.

[CLACKING]

- Now are we actually doing it or just pretend?

- A little bit. Somebody's got to.

[CLACKING]

[LAUGHTER]

[BUMP]

- Oh-ho.

[LAUGHTER]

[CLATTERING]

- Oh, Oh, I could have stopped you in two, but--

- OK.

- We're good.

- Go ahead.

[POP]

- No, I actually, I stopped it quicker earlier, but I actually didn't poke hard enough, because I thought we're not--