The makers of the Rubik’s Cube have gone small to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the iconic puzzle toy. Thanks to a collaboration with Japan-based Megahouse and Iriso Precision Company, designers have completed what is now the official Guinness World Record holder for the ‘smallest rotating puzzle cube’. But even at just 0.5cm (0.19in) wide, the tiny Rubik’s is fully functional, although you’ll probably have difficulty handling a device that’s about as wide as three grains of rice.
To put together the latest take on the cultural touchstone toy, engineers relied on a combination of sophisticated machines and human talent. Firstly, the underlying basis of the mini-Rubik’s cube is what is known as ‘micro-cutting’. During this process, individual parts as small as 0.0001mm (much thinner than a human hair) are carefully etched out of metal, while designers also keep a close eye on subtle influences of pressure, temperature and vibration. Then, if DesignTree recently explained, “craftspeople must rely on data and their mental image of the end product rather than focusing on the process and looking directly at the process.” From there, individual blocks just 0.16 cm (0.062 in) wide are installed together by hand to form the final, record-breaking version of the toy. To go even further, the team added colors to each cube side and engraved a miniature Rubik’s cube logo on one of the central blocks. If Interesting technology notes that the name is so small that it is almost invisible to the naked eye.
“The hardest part of the process of creating this design was figuring out how to adjust the gaps between the parts,” said a designer in the puzzle’s announcement video, translated into English on YouTube.
Each of the limited edition Rubik’s cubes comes in a (much) larger aluminum case that resembles a small trophy display with the serial number of the individual toy. If there really is a glutton for punishment, then apparently their best bet is to rely on tweezers to carefully twist and complete the puzzle. Such precision probably means that it is very unlikely that anyone will be setting speed records anytime soon.
[Related: In blink of an eye, robot sets new Rubik’s cube Guinness World Record.]
But such a small experiment comes with a hefty price tag. The mini cubes retail for 777,777 yen each, or approximately $5,250 USD. Considering that a standard model currently costs buyers just $7.99, it will likely appeal to a very specific echelon of toy collectors.
