My boring day at work spawned the idea for something a bit bizarre today. The idea was simply this, a doll that moves when no one's looking. Now it would probably be unreasonable to ask the whole audience to close their eyes and trust that I won't move the doll but then it hit me, there's already an effect out there where things move while no one is looking... the spirit box.

So the idea is this (I don't have a method yet) a fully examinable doll is placed into the spirit box, the box is closed, a moment later the curtain is opened and the doll has moved and changed its pose.
This could tie in to classic spirit box effects, rather than spirits placing a ball in a glass the doll is responsible. So my first question is has this already been done (I find it quite hard to believe it hasn't to be honest).

With regards to presentations, with the right type of doll it could be a very creepy addition to a haunted effect.
On the other hand performed correctly it could be a very magical effect designed to quite literally transport people back to a time in their lives when they believed there toys could move.
It could make a good kids effect if you were to use a Woody or Buzz Lightyear doll. First I want to know if its been done before, other than that I would like some suggestions on where to start figuring out a method.

I have nothing on the history of that effect. sorry. "Little Man" is a clay figure that walks across a pad but it does so in front of the audience.

Here is an idea I was playing with. Not what you are after but the doll might be of interest and the method might give you a few ideas.
http://vimeo.com/15548284

Steve Axtell makes electronic puppets.

I've seen these and they're awesome but that's not really what I'm after. I'm looking into ways of manipulating/moving a doll while it's inside a box or covered up in some way. I've seen spirit boxes which are basically just curtains, no solid back, so with the right misdirection it could be possible to enact all kinds of shananigans.

Also Eostresh that's very nice touch to an invisible deck style effect.