DESIGN NAME: Morcube
PRIMARY FUNCTION: Toy
INSPIRATION: It is always been my passion to create interactive tools that nurture creativity, emotions and sense of sustainability. Morcube, unlike ordinary wooden stacking blocks, has joinery structure inspired by traditional mortise and tenon in wood crafts that makes many more shapes, structures and functions possible. Regarding to the material, I believe that wood is safe and friendly to people, and its appearance will never be out of date whether for children or adults.
UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Morcube is a versatile toy that allows users the opportunity of exploring their creativity with challenges on every level. It is like a blank canvas with infinite possibilities. With the special locking mechanism, it also provides an intellectual challenge for puzzle lovers. Morcube is 100% made of wood with natural finish. The smooth feel of these precision-cut pieces make it a joy to play with. Moreover, the high quality of maple wood and craftsmanship ensure that it lasts for years.
OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Each morcube is connected by dovetail mortise and tenon. To connect, align a tenon with a mortise and slide in; to disassemble, you can either slide it out or simply pull them apart. The tenons are designed with specific level of friction and elasticity that they wouldn’t break when being twitched out. It even creates satisfying sound and interaction that people can’t stop playing it. Thanks to the sliding system, it allows more design figurations to build while appreciating traditional craft.
PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The project started in Augest 2021 in Shanghai and now we are still looking for manufacturers and e-commerce platforms to sell our products.
FITS BEST INTO CATEGORY: Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design
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PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: Each cube consists of 5 wooden parts that are fixed together with traditional mortise and tenon without applying glue. The slots in the tenon retain certain elasticity, ensuring the cubes perform well for both structural requirements and user experience. A 45-degree bevel on each side of the tenon guarantees smooth sliding movement. The components of each cube are precisely manufactured by customized machines with a final touch by hand. The cube is the work where craftsmanship meets engineering.
SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: 75 mm x 75 mm x 75 mm
TAGS: Toy, Wooden Toy, Toy Block, Brain Teaser, Modular Toy, Mortise and Tenon, 3D Toy, Architectual Toy, Creative Tool
RESEARCH ABSTRACT: -
CHALLENGE: As we know wood is very challenging to be processed with high precision, and it is a live material that changes everyday with humidity. In spite of that, we insist on using wood as the material to create a toy that can be passed from generation to generation due to its natural feeling and for the purpose of being sustainable for people and environment. After many testing and structural adjustments, our product finally achieved the effect that we expect it to be.
ADDED DATE: 2022-09-19 13:50:47
TEAM MEMBERS (1) :
IMAGE CREDITS: Ying Cui, 2022.
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