Hi iMaterialise fans,
Derailed Hearts is a gearing mechanism, where the green and red heart-shaped gears roll over a yellow rack gear. Despite the odd shapes of the gears and rack, the blue connecting rod slides in a perfect straight line. The red and green gears have the same shape, and are exact mirror images. This was achieved by giving the yellow rack a slide-mirror symmetry. Learn more from the video “How to Design a Wheel That Rolls Smoothly Around Any Given Shape” by Morphocular.
Even though the gearing mechanism is not a puzzle, it may feel like one. If one derails the gears, it takes some conscious effort to find out from which side the rack should be inserted between the gears, and at what orientation of the gears.
Watch the YouTube video.
Download the CAD file to print-it-yourself.
Buy the puzzle at my iMaterialise Shop.
Read more at the Non-Twisty Puzzles Forum.
Check out the photos below.
Enjoy!
Oskar
