The first Rubik’s Cube prototypes #Games @RuwixCube
Over the years the Rubik’s Cube has evolved immensely. New types of puzzles from higher-order standard cubes such as the 4×4 or 5×5 to different shaped puzzles such as cuboids and pyramids have surfaced, all originating from the original Rubik’s Cube design.
But where did the original Rubik’s Cube come from? How was the original 3×3 puzzle that has sold over 350 million units since its release originally developed? Ruwix takes a look at the first prototype of the original toy and how this paved the way for future versions of the same puzzle.
Rubik Erno wanted to create an object that seemed to defy the laws of possibility; he wanted a structure which, whilst staying held together, had movable independent parts that could be manipulated and have their positions changed. It is believed that the cube was also used to help explain three-dimensional objects to his then-students at the Academy of Applied Arts and Crafts in Budapest Hungary.
Original images such as the fairly unstable looking 2×2 puzzle above surfaced as Rubik’s first attempt at accomplishing his goal. The first types of cubes he created were simple wooden blocks that were held together with rubber bands and paperclips.
It was from here that Rubik began to work on a “core” for his inventions. This core enabled a larger order of puzzle to be made – The 3×3. Using a stable core, Rubik was able to construct a cube that could be moved and twisted fairly independently.
The final Rubik’s Cube prototype was created in 1974. This then led to patents and, after signing with toy company Ideal, was sold in Hungary and then eventually worldwide in 1980. This prototype was a much smoother version of the chunkier original prototype, and the corners were cut (as the cube was fairly large, Rubik believed the corners made the puzzle bulkier than it needed to be).
Very little was known about this cube until 2014, when this and all of Rubik’s original prototype models were made public in the Beyond Rubik’s Exhibition at the Liberty Science Centre, New Jersey.
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