Hi!

About a month ago, me and grigr discussed twisty puzzles and took notice that beside many existing gear puzzles there's no Gear Pyraminx, although it seemed (at least at that time) that it should be the simplest of them.

So I made a sketch and though that I should ask Oskar whether he would mind if I try to design a Gear Pyraminx (because he could be planning it or working on it at the moment, who knows). But not only he did not mind but said that he's pleased that I was pursuing this direction and offered his support.

After I started I found that it would be not a simple design at all, because (as opposed to Gear Cube) the edges were supposed to roll between two unequal geary surfaces with different angle to the axis of rotation and different number of teeth. But finally I found a solution and it turned out good, so here is it.

As follows from the name, it is a Pyraminx with geared elements. When you turn a corner, the adjacent edges move and rotate at the same time. After the edges shift by 120°, you can turn another corner.

The edge gears have 6 teeth, the corners have 9 teeth and the surface upon which the edges are rolling, has 15 teeth. Before the puzzle was stickered I found that it's not a simple task to put all gears into correct orientation. With the stickers, I could not solve it yet.

YouTube VIDEO (new format )

Shapeways link

Timur...


Phenomenal!!! This might well be my favourite from you, although that is a hard one to say, because all of your puzzles are epic. I love how different concepts are when applied to different puzzles. I hope I can own this puzzle! Speaking of which, me and bmenrigh have been having a conversation on the IRC, but do you think this puzzle could ever be mass produced on a practical level?

WOW, that is truly awesome, I would love one of these

Robert

Such an amazing puzzle that I have been waiting to see for quite some time, and I must say, fantastic job!

Absolutely stunning!

Oskar

Fantastic. The turning looks so smooth!

-Eitan

WOW!!!! I want one. Would LOVE to see this one mass produced and knowing Meffert loves the Pyraminx I would think this puzzle has a better chance of seeing mass production then most.

Carl

This coming from The Great Gerent of Gears, The Prince of Pinions, The Sultan of Sprockets himself- that really says it all

Love it. You really like your tetrahedrons eh? The turning looks so smooth too!

So if Oskar is Spacely Sprockets does that make Timur now Cogswell Cogs? I'm probably showing my age here but I hope most get that.

Carl

Soo cool! I would live to see this gear puzzle mass produced! if only I knew how to design gear puzzles...

Woah! This is one of my favorite geared puzzles. Great work!

Amazing!!

Also, it's nice to finally see your face in a video.

Timur, Exelent Puzzle!!!

This is truly magnificent. I recall seeing this puzzle on your Shapeways shop a month or two back and I was amazed even then. Great work.

Incredible!!!!!

Very good.
Can you submit an image showing the puzzle after one completed turn?

Andreas

A "must have"

Cool!!!

I intentionally didn't mention one thing hoping that somebody points this out, but - has anyone noticed that all 4 corners may be also turned simultaneously in the same direction?


Sorry, I've already sold and shipped it. Maybe the buyer...

Very interesting! Also, it looks like when a turn is halfway done, everything moving disengages from the other side, so just the face opposite the vertex being rotated can be all turned at once.

Timur, could you post a video on how you go about making gears on a puzzle ?

Now that you point it out.. Very interesting! The Gear Cube and Gear Shift seem similar, but actually move and solve very differently.
This one, however, seems to have features the Cube as well as the Shift have!

I think that video is not the best way to explain how to make gears, but I can make a brief description of the procedure when I have some free (of designing ) time.