MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具 by Yoshiaki Ito

MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具 by Yoshiaki Ito is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2020 A' Design Award 金奖 in 玩具、游戏与业余爱好产品设计 Competition Category.

金玩具· 2020

MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具

by Yoshiaki Ito

Client: MoFU

A' Design Award 金奖 Winner in 玩具 Category

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The Design

About MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具

Morphits(前称MoFU)是一种变形玩具,同时也是益智解谜游戏。这些长方体形状的玩具可以从抽屉式盒子中滑出,并展开成各种动物,如猪、猴子、老虎、河马和长颈鹿。每只动物都拥有可爱而独特的特征,使它们成为迷人的角色。然而,真正的挑战在于将Morphits折叠回正确的长方体形状,需要动用脑力来解决将它们精确地装回盒子中这一谜题。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 金奖

MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具是 A' Design Award 金奖得主，这是授予一流、绝妙而杰出设计的极为崇高的认可。金奖得主是极具创新、极富远见且璀璨夺目的创作，反映出其设计师的天才、智慧与才干。预计MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具将成为一项备受赞誉、引领潮流、气势恢宏的发明，带来前所未有的价值。这件赢得 A' Design Award 金奖的设计是一个壮观而受人敬重的项目，极大地造福并拓展艺术、科学、设计和技术的边界。MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具激起强烈的渴望，唤起激情，鼓励创造力，令我们着迷。

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties: MoFU are transforming toys that are also brainteaser puzzles. Starting as identically shaped cuboids that slide out of boxes on drawers, each MoFU unfolds into a different kind of animal - pig, monkey, tiger, hippo, and giraffe. Each animal is its own character with cute and iconic features, but each is also a distinct puzzle. Folding a MoFU back into the correct cuboid shape so it can perfectly fit back into its box is a brainteasing challenge.
Dimensions & Packaging: 85mm x 70mm x 60mm when folded in their 3D-printed boxes and at their most compact. Dimensions change with various poses. The maximum possible height is the fully unfolded giraffe at 370mm, and the minimum possible height is a fully recumbent monkey at 35mm.
Tags: Toys, Animals, Ecology, Recycled, Plastic, Geometric, Abstract, Transforming, Brainteaser, Puzzle
Production Technology: MoFU are 3D-printed using 100% recycled PET plastic from water bottles using selective laser sintering (SLS) 3D printing. The 3D-printed pieces of the toy are united by elastic bands which run through the center of each piece. The pieces are finished with polyshot surfacing and deep-dye coloring for safe use by children and maximum lifespan.
Design Challenge: I had to think about the shape of each piece very carefully and how it could fit with its neighboring piece like a three-dimensional jigsaw puzzle. Additionally all of the pieces had to be folded together into the rectangular shape of their box.
Research: Each piece of each toy had to be precisely shaped to fit with its neighboring piece like a 3D jigsaw puzzle. Pieces that approximate parts of an animal body must also be folded and nestled in a specific way, fitting perfectly together to revert to a cuboid shape.

Finding the perfect tension of the elastic bands was difficult as the pieces must freely rotate and fold, but not be at all loose. The holes bored for the bands had to be precise to the half-millimeter for the toy to function properly.
Inspiration: Japanese origami, Kumiki puzzles, Transformers.
Project Duration: MoFU project development started in Brooklyn, NY in April 2018. The first animal, a pig, was created in May 2018; the monkey was finished in September 2018; the tiger in December 2018, the hippo in March 2019, and the giraffe in Jun 2019.
Operation Flow: MoFU emerge from identically shaped boxes, but each transforms into a different animal figure with articulated joints. Elastic bands form the animals' tendons and ligaments, allowing maximum transformability and infinite possible poses.

The toys are figurines, but they are also puzzles with varying degrees of difficulty. Folding them back into the correct cuboid shape so that they can fit back into their boxes ranges from simple for a child hippo to difficult for an adult monkey.
Patents: Yoshiaki Ito
Image Credits: Photgrapes by Yoshiaki Ito, Video by Aria Wetzler and Yana Birykova