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 金獎 in 玩具、遊戲及消閒產品設計 Competition Category.

金玩具· 2020

MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具

by Yoshiaki Ito

Client: MoFU

A' Design Award 金獎 Winner in 玩具 Category

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Colors

The Design

About MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具

Morphits（前身為MoFU）係一種變形玩具，同時亦係益智解謎遊戲。呢啲長方體形狀嘅玩具從抽屜盒中滑出，然後展開成各種動物，例如豬、猴子、老虎、河馬同長頸鹿。每隻動物都有自己可愛而獨特嘅特徵，令佢哋成為迷人嘅角色。不過，真正嘅挑戰在於將Morphits摺返正確嘅長方體形狀，需要動腦筋去解決將佢哋精確咁摺返入盒嘅難題。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 金獎

MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具是 A' Design Award 金獎得主，這是授予一流、絕妙而傑出設計的極為崇高的認可。金獎得主是極具創新、極富遠見且璀璨奪目的創作，反映出其設計師的天才、智慧與才幹。預計MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具將成為一項備受讚譽、引領潮流、氣勢恢宏的發明，帶來前所未有的價值。這件贏得 A' Design Award 金獎的設計是一個壯觀而受人敬重的項目，極大地造福並拓展藝術、科學、設計和技術的界限。MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe 益智玩具激起強烈的渴望，喚起激情，鼓勵創造力，令我們著迷。

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