Kaleidopenta

Description

Kaleidopenta is an impossible piece of kinetic art. It consists of five identical rods that has axes at each end that are orthogonal to the rod and turned 50 degrees to each other. The object can be turned inside-out infinitely. It is an impossible object, as the ends don't fit together, and some force and flex is needed to make them fit. The motion is related to the Kaleidocycle. I made a five-piece paper version in the 1980's. I thought that it would be nice to have a 3D-printed version too.

Fundamental question: is there a non-trivial working solution for a five-axes kinetic sculpture with continuous rotation like Kaleidopenta? (One trivial solution would be to have all axes parallel.)

Watch the YouTube video.

Read at the iMaterialise Forum.

Read more at the Non-Twisty Puzzles Forum.

Please order a 3D-printed do-it-yourself puzzle kit from iMaterialise at this page (check with Oskar about screws and stickers), or contact Oskar directly if you are interested in obtaining a fully colored, stickered and assembled sample of this puzzle.