I used to play with my construction blocks when I was a kid in such a way. Each block was alive and would work in unison with the other shapes. I had so much fun messing around with the simplest of things.
In the 80's I discovered the amazing moving geometric puzzles that would later become a craze that swept the entire world. Rubik's Cube, Rubik's Magic Links, The Missing Link and the Magic Snake all drove me crazy. Especially the Magic Snake. I just wished that it could have come apart without breaking in the process. Do you guys remember these classics?
All these years later, I find myself wanting to revisit the "Sentient Structure" idea more than ever. This new project hopefully brings that old idea closer to reality, while paying deep homage to those classic puzzles and a few "Micro" themed playsets from the late 70's in the process
Isosceles Triangle+?+Isosceles Triangle+?= Possible Fun Time
?=A long awaited vinyl part (at least for us over here).
I told you I was losing my mind.
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I had a Jacob's ladder toy my Dad brought me from Germany I played with in a similar way. Used it as a shape changing structure for vehicles and mini figures.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.instructables.com/id/A-Traditional-Jacob-s-Ladder/
Jacob's Ladder was another awesome one! It makes perfect sense that you would use that as an old school Transformer. I did the same thing!
DeleteMissing Link drove me nutso! Looking forward to this drop.
ReplyDeleteThanks Pete! I hope you dig the colors. Muted tones seem to be good for combining with lots of stuff.
DeleteI totally remember the Rubik's cube & snake. I only had the cube as a kid- not that I could solve it LoL.
ReplyDeleteIt's so funny that you say that about the Snake as I used to think the exact same freaking thing; being able to build with it as detactched parts would make buildign insane. I can still make shapes out of it with my eyes closed, at least the ball/sphere shape.
I remember seeing an orange & yellow one that a kid had on the school bus when I was in like 1st or 2nd grade. I recall asking the kid what it was as I was so amazed by it and the little douche bag wouldn't tell me LoL. So I never got one until yeeeeeears later in like 2003 or 2004 when I ordered a new one from online in teal/purple. Then my friend lost it in Atlantic City & I eventually got a new blue/white one that I still have.
What's even funnier is once I finally got one I used to try and turn it into a vehicle for my 1st two Glyos figures but as it's only made up of like 20 triangles it was just too short. The idea of a sentient building appeals to me too, I'm totally onboard for this new piece and can't wait to get a dozen or so of them together and make some cool things with it.
As "weird", "crazy" or "out there" you may think this concept is, then I guess I'm just as nutty as you because I agree with you on this.
Chris, your mind is about as rich as they come. I imagine you will build a life-sized chair from these new parts.
DeleteWhat color snake was the best for you? The teal/purple or the blue/white?
I played with a black and kind of off-white one that was pretty good.
I love off-white in general though...
There really isn't an off-switch for my creativity; I think I tried to turn it off once & broke the handle in the 'ON' position. O_o If I get enough of them, who knows right? LoL. After my December visit I've been doing some sketching to visualize how to build with them, and so far I'm excited at the options. All this Rubik's Snake talk has given me another idea I'll have to try...
DeleteThe Teal/Purple one was my first ever snake so I'm more fond of that one, the colors are pretty good & remind me of Decepticons in a way. The blue/white one is labeled as a "Rubik's Twist" (but it's 100% a Rubik's Snake.)and the colors are cool but I think I liked my 1st snake more. Or I'd settle for that orange/yellow one that kid had LoL. I think the black/off-white one was the original release and then they started adding new colors to them.
Pretty soon you can make an EMD colored one. Along with the upcoming new colors.
DeleteDamnit Doughty, stay out of my head. Are you sure you're not an alternate reality version of me, from a dimension where I was 3-4 inches taller, have a beard and make my own toys??
DeleteObsessive rambling about strange mathematical equations is a classic sign of madness. Well done, sir :3
ReplyDeleteWhat does obsessive rambling about Taco Bell equal? Because I think Jesse has whatever that is.
DeleteRegret? That's what my friend always says Taco Bell tastes like: "It always seems like a good idea at the time and then it just ends up not being one".
DeleteThat's awesome. I have regret after simply watching Jesse eat Taco Bell.
DeleteIf he eats Taco Bell in the same way he eats kielbasa, then I can completely agree with you. Something seems naughty about Jesse defiling tacos. O_o...
DeleteThe funny thing is, that is the very concept behind applying nanotechnology to structures, a way of making buildings that "respond" to extreme weather conditions.
ReplyDeleteAt the same time, this is a concept that resonates with imaginings of transforming cities, of Metroplex and the SDF-1, of seeing robots as "cells" of some giant entity, and seems like it will open-up some new possibilities for creative building (no pun intended). Assuming the usefulness of the block, it'll be great to see where this current strain of madness leads.
Just don't wait too long to fill in the ? gaps!
The "?" could be considered the "glue" in this particular mix. It has much in common with the PVC Hub Set (which will be making an appearance on this blog very soon).
DeleteI tried to hide some special functions in these new parts to help bridge the combination gaps between PVC and rotocast vinyl. It seems to work so far.
I can't wait to see what you build, Roy.
Matt, i hope that yuo made a piece like a connector beTween pvc and vinil parts, A disk like the Armodoc Hip, in the positive part to insert in vinil hole, and in the Other hand an hole for the pin of the pvc parts,
DeleteGlyocity?!
ReplyDeleteReally? Brilliant!
I hope the actual parts cut the mustard for you when they are "in hand".
DeleteThanks for the positive feedback so far!
Who says you couldn't take those snakes apart? Of course, the joints weren't perfect once you put 'em back together. *whistle*
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to this expansion at the Galaxy's Edge.
I destroyed a few of those snakes, as well as my Rubik's Cube and The Missing Link (and a few telephones while I was at it). I could not resist the temptation to see how the hell those things worked.
DeleteWell, the telephones I just dropped because I was a clumsy fool (and still am)!
Ah... telephones. The old classic ones are the best electronic gear for a kid to take apart: they're fascinatingly simple. After becoming an old hand at rotary dials, I remember tearing into my mom's first touch tone phone to see how that differed.
DeleteNo idea what this has to do with Glyos -- maybe just that your open universe always broadens my universe!
Seriously, you just expanded my price ceiling on this drop several hundred dollars. STRUCTURES!!!!!! I think glyos has officially overtook lego for me.
ReplyDeleteHa! Thanks Rez!
DeleteLego will always remain the undisputed champ of all construction toys.
Have you gotten any of the blind bagged figures? The recent gray alien and pink female astronaut are so damn good.