Gear cube

Oskar van Deventer (born 1965) is a Dutch puzzle maker.[1] He prototypes puzzles using 3D printing. His work combines mathematics, physics, and design, and he collaborates at academic institutions.[2][3][4] Many of his combination puzzles are in mass production by Uwe Mèffert and WitEden. Oskar van Deventer has also designed puzzles for Hanayama.

He was a Guinness World Record holder for his 17×17×17 "Over the Top Cube" Rubik's cube-style puzzle from 2012 to 2016,[5][6] when it was beaten by a 22×22×22 cube.[7]

In addition to being a puzzle maker, Oskar is a research scientist in the area of media networking and holds a Ph.D. in optics. He has over 100 publications, over 80 patents applications, and hundreds of standardization contributions.[8]

Mass-produced puzzles

  • Gear cube: Previously named "Caution Cube" because there was a big chance to pinch your fingers with the gears.[9] It was mass-produced by Mèffert's in 2010,[10] but over time it appeared as several copies and shape mods of the same design.
  • Gear Cube Extreme: A bandaged version of the Gear cube, where 4 gears are replaced with 4 standard edges, making the puzzle harder. It was mass-produced by Mèffert's in 2010,[11] and was also copied by other companies.
  • Gear Shift: It was mass-produced by Mèffert's in 2011;[12] a knock off version also appeared.
  • David Gear Cube: Previously called "Polo cube" in reference to Alex Polonsky, who had the idea.[13] It was mass-produced By Mèffert's in 2013.[14]
  • Geared Mixup: A variant of the gear cube where all faces can perform 90° rotations, allowing centers to be interchanged with edges, hence the term "mixup". It was mass-produced by Mèffert's in 2014.[15]
  • Geared 5×5×5: An unknown Chinese company mass-produced this puzzle in 2015 using a 3D printed sample, without the permission of Oskar. An agreement was met to please both sides.[16]
  • Gear Ball: A mass-produced spherical Gear cube made by Mèffert's.[17]
  • Mosaic cube: Previously called "Fadi cube", it is a corner turning puzzle with two cut depths similar to Okamoto and Greg's "Lattice Cube". It was mass-produced by Mèffert's in 2010.[18]
  • Planets puzzle: Four balls in a frame. Craters on the balls block and unblock movement on the adjacent balls.
  • Rob's Pyraminx: It was mass-produced by Mèffert's in 2014.[19]
  • Rob's Octahedron: It was mass-produced by Mèffert's in 2015.[20]
  • Mixup Cube: a 3×3×3 Rubik's cube that can perform 45° rotations on the middle layers, allowing centers interchange with edges. It was mass-produced by WitEden.[21]
  • Treasure chest: A 3×3×3 puzzle that when solved, can be opened, revealing a small chamber inside. It was mass-produced by Mèffert's.[22]
  • Icosaix: A face turning icosahedron with jumbling movements. It was mass-produced by MF8 in 2015.[23]
  • Crazy Comet: Was mass-produced by LanLan without Oskar's permission in 2016 but a deal was archived later.[24]
  • Redi Cube: A corner turning puzzle mass produced by Moyu in 2017.[25]

References

  1. ^ Olivarez-Giles, Nathan (29 May 2010). "Rubik's Cube built on a 3-D printer unlocks love for one couple [Updated]". LA Times Blogs - Technology. Retrieved 1 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Putting the Pieces Together". www.dartmouth.edu. March 2008. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  3. ^ Doh, Jane (24 February 2011). "Oskar van Deventer's Twisty Puzzle Will Take You Over the Top". Wired. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
  4. ^ Murphy, David. "Puzzle-maker Unveils World's Largest Rubik's Cube". PCMAG. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
  5. ^ Karlin, Susan (16 April 2012). "Thinking Outside The Cube". theinstitute.ieee.org. Retrieved 12 May 2018.
  6. ^ Dillow, Clay (28 January 2011). "3-D Printer Sets Record For Building World's Biggest, Most Complicated Rubik's Cube". Popular Science. Retrieved 10 May 2019.
  7. ^ "22x22 rubik's cube World Record". YouTube. corenpuzzle. 14 January 2016. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
  8. ^ "Oskar van Deventer". oskarvandeventer.nl. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  9. ^ "Caution Cube - now mass-produced as Mefferts Gear Cube". YouTube. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  10. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Caution Cube". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  11. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Gear Cube Extreme/Anisotropic Cube". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  12. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Gear Shift". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  13. ^ "Re: David Gear Cube on HKNowStore". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  14. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Polo Gear Cube". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  15. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Geared Mixup". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  16. ^ "How a Shapeways 3D print got knocked off in China". YouTube. Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  17. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Gear Ball". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  18. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Fadi Cube". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  19. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Rob's Pyraminx". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  20. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Rob's Octahedron". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  21. ^ "TwistyPuzzle's.com > Museum > Mixup 3x3x3". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  22. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Gift Cube / Treasure Chest". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  23. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Icosaix". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  24. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Crazy Comet". Retrieved 9 October 2018.
  25. ^ "TwistyPuzzles.com > Museum > Redi Cube". Retrieved 9 October 2018.

External links

See also