Hoberman Spheres Using Lego Technic Parts

[DLuders]

The original Hoberman Sphere is an interesting toy. According to the Wikipedia acticle http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoberman_sphere , "A Hoberman sphere is a structure that resembles a geodesic dome, but is capable of folding down to a fraction of its normal size by the scissor-like action of its joints....A Hoberman sphere is not a true sphere, but a polyhedron...."

Several LEGO fans have attempted to replicate the Hoberman design using LEGO Technic parts:

1) Akos Kostyan built a "Magic Sphere Ball" with enough step-by-step photos to make your own ( http://www.mocpages.com/moc.php/5599 ):

2) Jason Allermann has this version which he displayed at Brickfest 2006 ( http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?i=1990798 ):

3) Inspired by Jason Allermann's design, Barman made this colorful interpretation ( http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=245253 ):

Maybe its possible to MOTORIZE the opening/closing action via Power Functions. Perhaps you could use the entire range of TECHNIC colors, and make a Hoberman Sphere that looks like Chris Behren's Color Wheel ( http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=431972 ):

[DLuders]

[bUMP]

On his Flickr photostream, True Dimensions recently posted the picture shown below and a Flickr video of a motorized Lego Hoberman Sphere mechanism that opens and closes the assembly. Centrifugal force makes the sphere expand, then collapse under its own weight when it slows down. True Dimensions wrote,

"Hoberman Sphere Spinner - Video

Although the Hoberman sphere is pretty stable, it can't really take the repeated abuse of being handled by the public at a show.

I built the spinner so that I didn't have to stand around and open and close it myself, or keep putting it back together.

It works really well when connected to a programmable controller to repeatedly start and stop it."

Here is the closed Hoberman sphere and open sphere:

Edited November 1, 2011 by DLuders

[DLuders]

Jason Allemann's Lego Hoberman Sphere has been added to Rebrickable.com .

[KEvron]

how have these wonderful pieces gone without comment?! allemann's design is so clean it's sublime, and the display stand is a perfect compliment. i'd have gone with blue instead of the green, but i suspect he was building with what was available in his inventory, hence the abundance of the neutral color.

KEvron

[Burf2000]

I really fancy building one of these!

[Thebicyclestory]

I built my own Hoberman Sphere and made a video review (kind of):