Groovik’s Cube
Groovik’s cube is an enormous and interactive sculpture of a Rubik’s cube, towering 26ft tall. Currently installed at the Pacific Science Center until June 2012, its 2000 watts of LED power mesmerize and challenge visitors. Groovik’s cube mimicks the motion of a real Rubik’s cube via shifting and changing lights rather then mechanical action.
Groovik’s cube has deviously split the controls for the classic game into three parts, each controlling only one axis of the cube, thus forcing 3 players to collaborate together to solve this enormous puzzle. The players are placed around the cube 30-40 ft apart from each other. Instead of an introverted puzzle Groovik’s cube is a fiendish challenge in communication and collaboration which frequently defies even experienced solvers of Rubik’s cubes. The current world record time for solving Groovik’s cube is nearly 12 minutes.
Solution attempts frequently turn into a spectacle for the onlooker with players having to run around the cube to see all the sides and shout instructions to each other or use hand signals to coordinate their actions.
Groovik’s cube was constructed from a 1000lbs aluminum frame, 54 mylar reflectors, 324 high-power LEDs and 1350 square feet of white rip-stop fabric. Over 7000 man hours were required to create this sculpture as well as a total budget of 36000$. It can be installed either free standing (e.g. Installation at Burning Man 2009) or suspended from the ceiling (e.g current installation at the Pacific Science Center). Visitors interact with the via three touch screen control stations which allow a variety of difficulties and games to be enjoyed.
Seattle Science Center (2011)
Timelapse video of the installation
In the news:
Seattle Met Magazine (Nov Issue): http://www.seattlemet.com/groovikscube
Groovik’s Cube on Q13 FoxNews: http://www.q13fox.com/videogallery/65109801/News/Kaci-Pac-Sci-Center
Seattle Times: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/photogalleries/localnews2016222326/2.html
IO9: http://io9.com/5840738/watch-people-constructing-a-26+foot+high-fully-playable-rubiks-cube
PCWorld: https://www.pcworld.com/article/240168/26foottall_rubiks_cube_is_even_harder_to_solve.html
Seattle PI: http://blog.seattlepi.com/thebigblog/2011/09/13/seattles-giant-rubiks-cube-where-to-see-it/
Seattlest (Blog): http://seattlest.com/2011/09/20/attention_stoners_a_giant_rubiks_cu.php
Associated Press: Associated Press (Yahoo news)
TechFlash: http://www.techflash.com/seattle/2011/09/a-giant-grooviks-cube-in-seattle.html
SLOG (Seattle Stranger Blog): http://slog.thestranger.com/slog/archives/2011/09/13/grooviks-cubism-at-pacific-science-center
Burning Man Installation (2009)
On these pages I have recounted its story (from my perspective) from it’s conception to it’s final construction in Black Rock City. Official site: www.groovik.com
Articles
Introduction
Feasible or not ?
The Cube in the Sky
Aesthetics of Light
Windloads
The Wind Tunnel Test
Designing the details of the structure
Driving the LEDs
Links & Pages
Photo Archives
- Geoff’s pictures of the Cube Building and Raising and of the rest of the burn
- Maja’s Pictures from the Burn (Original Source: Maja’s Picasa Album )
Maja was there at the burn right from the beginning and captured the cube in all of it’s stages! - Ola’s Pictures from the Burn (Original Source: Ola’s Facebook Album )
Brilliant shots from the raising of the cube and the burn! - Michael H’s Pictures: The Cube at Burning Man (Original Source: www.michaelholden.com )
Michael took some incredible pictures, including some stunning daydime/dusk/dawn HDR pictures. - Nathan’s Pictures: Production and Manufacturing (Original Source: Nathan’s Facebook Album )
Nathan’s camera was running non-stop during production and manufacturing. - More pics from Nathan on Picasa
(Thanks to Ales Prikryl for this amazing shot! (Original Page here)
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