“Do you know how to play Rubik’s Cube?”, my colleague asked me as I entered the office.
“Of course”, I replied, and many memories of my childhood came flooding back. “What do you think of this new one?”, she asked, showing me pictures on her computer. “Hah, that’s interesting!”
I was full of energy as a kid and would have loved fidget spinners back then if they had been invented. What I had instead was a Rubik’s Cube, it was not just a toy for me, it calmed me down when I was anxious, and it kept me busy when alone. Although I am certainly not as fast as the professional competitors you see online, I am more than good enough, having spent hours and hours mastering it as a kid.
I think most of you must have played with Rubik’s Cube before. The rules are pretty simple, you just have to twist it in either direction until you end up with the same color on every side. However, the Afterlife Cube takes the game to the next level by changing the basic rule instead of changing shapes and layouts.
The goal, of course, is to make the entire cube glow. You start with a blank cube and twist until a tile lights up and you know it’s in the right place. Sounds simple, doesn’t it? Just keep in mind that there are no colors, meaning you have to remember the position of the lit tile before you make your next move.
I have seen a lot of redesigned Rubik’s Cubes and been amazed by many of them, but I have to say that the Afterlife Cube is the first one that has me so excited that I want to try it right away. Imagine being able to solve it in the dark while the entire cube glows – how great would that be!
There are videos from several of the major cubing YouTubers playing and reviewing the prototype. A great atmosphere and great participation from the cubing community that you will not want to miss:
Having a great idea is only the first step. Putting it into action takes a lot of time and energy. You may be wondering how difficult it can be to build a glowing cube. I’ll give you some numbers so you can get a better idea of how much effort is involved: 13 meters of electronic wire, 81 printed circuits, 162 LED elements, 128 connectors, and 1318 SMD electronic components.
People with some experience in engineering will know that it is incredibly difficult to build such a delicate cube as well as succeed in making the hands-on experience flawless. MVented, the creator of the Afterlife Cube, consists of a team of physicists, aeronautical engineers, designers, and math enthusiasts who worked together to create this fantastic new cube for more than two years trying their best to perfect it. They managed to put together a working prototype – the one you see in all the pictures and videos – and they are soooo close to reaching their goal of starting production. This is an all-or-nothing Kickstarter, and they only have less than a week left to secure funding for their project.
I have already supported this project personally, something I hardly ever do as we already get too many gadgets sent to the office for free. If you’re also a puzzle fan, or if your kid is, then let’s help the guys get their really cool idea off to a flying start.
