transformer

Radially expanding and contracting table

Radially expanding and contracting table

Some observations: The table top pieces are only truly circular in their larger arrangement. In the “contracted” table, the 6 wedges in fact form a kind of rounded-off hexagon, and the outer table edge is made circular by the rotating rim, which has a complementary inner profile. Besides the wedges, there are two other types of pieces that make up the table top–6 “darts” having two parallel sides that rise to fill the spaces between the wedges, and the “star” (a dodecagram, in fact) that rises up in the middle. The table is locked in either configuration by one or more threaded detents which are quite clearly shown in the upper video.

The Yoshimoto Cube

The Yoshimoto Cube

This is a pretty amazing folding transformation of a 2-unit cube into a pair of stellated rhombic dodecahedra. You can buy the (fairly pricey) toy version pictured above from the Museum of Modern Art. It is also possible to make your own, from paper, by following the instructions in the video below. It is, reportedly, a very rewarding if time-consuming process. You can download the pattern here.

Kanji-to-animal transformers

Kanji-to-animal transformers

Japanese toy giant Bandai is set to release a series of nifty kanji figures that transform into the shapes of the animals they represent. The shape-shifting critters, called Mojibakeru (moji means “character” and bakeru means “to change”), come in six varieties — 犬 (dog), 虎 (tiger), é­š (fish), 馬 (horse), é³¥ (bird) and ç«œ (dragon) […]