Ice-9 Puzzle, video added

David Pitcher · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 12:51 pm

Hello Puzzlers,

This puzzle was developed and prototyped in 2001, so technically it's not new, but it has not been shown previously. It is a nine-sided solid, with three rhombic sides, and six "kite-shaped" sides. It has six axes of rotation, three of which can turn in 90 degree increments, and three in 180 degree increments. Hopefully the pictures do a good enough job of communicating the shape and the types of turns the puzzle can make.

The puzzle was printed on a Stratasys FDM machine, so the finish is a little rough, but it turns well enough to use. the stickers are hand-cut vinyl. I decided to call it "Ice-9", (with apologies to Kurt Vonnegut) since it has nine sides.

I hope you like it!

Dave

Here's a video

RubixFreakGreg · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 12:55 pm

Prototyped in 2001 !!! :shock:

WOW and as amazing as the new ones coming out!!

My favorite of the week!!

- Greg

APJ · **Joined:** Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:09 pm **Location:** My House

This is really cool. The photos do give a good idea of the puzzle, but a video would be nice too!

Alex

Luke · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:23 pm

Wow, that looks really interesting.

Timur · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 1:55 pm

Great idea!

wwwmwww · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 2:27 pm

Timur wrote:

Great idea!

I couldn't agree more!!! Only question.... WHY have you sat on this since 2001?

Carl

c1829 · **Joined:** Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:20 pm

Its incredible that this was made so long ago. Fantastic job!

MonkeyZ · **Joined:** Tue Aug 11, 2009 3:59 pm **Location:** NJ

This looks fantastic! It reminds me of the constellation six...

pirsquared · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 3:55 pm

Great puzzle! Have you designed anything since then?

APJ wrote:

a video would be nice too!

+1

-Eitan

cisco · **Joined:** Sun Feb 17, 2008 2:32 pm

I guess 2001 is a typo for 2010 :roll:

RubixFreakGreg · **Posted:** Sat Feb 05, 2011 4:39 pm

David Pitcher wrote:

This puzzle was developed and prototyped in 2001, so technically it's not new

Nope, not a typo

Is that corner mech the same one as the Comboctahedron? I can't see another wya! O.o

- Greg

JeongEC · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 12:49 am

Amazing work!
Do you have any another printing cube?
We want see a lot.

-JEC-

Andreas Nortmann · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 2:53 am

Very cool.

Chilen · **Posted:** Sun Feb 06, 2011 3:39 am

very interesting and seems not easy to solve

ulmboy556 · **Joined:** Wed Apr 08, 2009 7:46 pm **Location:** PA, USA

If you've spent 10 years working on this, it was well worth it. Absolutely perfect.

Superbud9123 · **Joined:** Thu Dec 30, 2010 12:32 am

Is this a whole new mechanism!? :shock:

David Pitcher · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 3:57 pm

Hi Everyone,

Thanks for the feedback! I've added a video so that you can see the puzzle in motion.

The mechanism is unique and designed from scratch, although it is relatively simple. However, the puzzle is not easy to solve.

As to the ten year wait to show it, that has to do with inventor's paranoia about losing intellectual property. But I've concluded that the twisty puzzle community is a very rare place where there is a great deal of respect for creator's rights. And I've realized that I'm not likely to start a puzzle company of my own, so why not let my creations see the light of day? I'll be posting a few more things over the next few weeks and months.

Dave Pitcher

Sigurd · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:20 pm

I would like to see this puzzle be changed in shape to a triagonal prism.

anyway, it looks great! What an odd shape

NType3 · **Joined:** Mon Oct 18, 2010 10:48 am

There's one for Shapeways!

pirsquared · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:28 pm

Very nice! I hope to we see some more puzzles from you in the future!

Luke · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 4:33 pm

Agreed. And also agreed with the Shapeways idea. You already have the files for this, and I can't imagine this puzzle being too expensive to print. Food for thought. :wink:

JeongEC · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:22 pm

It's really turn smooth!
Really awesome idea and quality.

-JEC-

mArtorell · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 7:52 pm

Mass-produce it if you can, is a very nice puzzle to mass-produce!!

I loved it, I want to see mods from this!

Kapusta · **Posted:** Sun Feb 27, 2011 8:04 pm

One of the first ever 3d printed puzzles!

Amazing! I saw this a week ago and for some reason didn't post. This puzzle was *definitely* ahead of its time.

grigr · **Joined:** Mon Jun 30, 2008 8:38 pm **Location:** Russia

Very interest Puzzle!

Ice-9 Puzzle, video added

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