MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe
Puzzle Toy for MoFU
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.
Download Press Kit № 100594
Download Press Kit № 100594 Puzzle Toy for MoFU by Yoshiaki Ito to access high-res images, essential texts, translations, and exclusive interviews—all in one.
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MoFU by Yoshiaki Ito
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Puzzle Toy by Yoshiaki Ito
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Yoshiaki Ito MoFU
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Yoshiaki Ito Puzzle Toy
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Yoshiaki Ito Designer Portrait Photo
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MoFU Brand Logo
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MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe Puzzle Toy Press Releases
Press resources for MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe are offered in several languages: English.
MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe Puzzle Toy Media Articles
For immediate use: MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe articles, available in languages such as Hindi, Dutch, Chinese (Mandarin), Turkish, Arabic (Standard), Indonesian, Korean, Japanese, Russian, German, French, Portuguese, English, Spanish and Italian, to enrich your content.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Image Credits
Photgrapes by Yoshiaki Ito, Video by Aria Wetzler and Yana Birykova
Project Overview
MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe Puzzle Toy has been a Golden winner in the Toys, Games and Hobby Products Design award category in the year 2019 organized by the prestigious A' Design Award & Competition. The Gold A' Design Award is granted to designs that demonstrate a high level of innovation and a significant impact on their intended audience. Recognized as a major achievement by the A' Design Awards, these designs are characterized by their visionary approach and the exceptional skill of their creators. Winners of the Gold A' Design Award are noted for their ability to push the envelope in art, science, design, and technology, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed expectations. These designs serve as benchmarks for excellence, encouraging further innovation and inspiring future generations of designers.
Golden Recognition
Yoshiaki Ito was recognized with the coveted Golden A' Design Award in 2020, a testament to excellence of their work MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe Puzzle Toy.
Yoshiaki Ito Press Releases
Discover Yoshiaki Ito's journey through our press releases, available for all press members and journalists to use without restrictions. Available now: 1 press releases ready for immediate access by journalists.
Introducing MoFU Mighty Omega Folding Universe: The Transforming Puzzle Toy
Yoshiaki Ito unveils MoFU, a line of transforming toys that double as brainteaser puzzles, inspired by Japanese origami, Kumiki puzzles, and Transformers.
Yoshiaki Ito Newsroom
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