Rubik s Cube Marketing as Educational Tool

Transcription

1 Rubik s Cube Marketing as Educational Tool Sándor Kiss Rubik Exhibition Co., Ltd. WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 1

2 Gaming can be used as a form of teaching. It was wonderful, to see how, after only a few turns, the colors became mixed After a while I decided let us put the cubes back in order. And it was at that moment that I came face to face with the Big Challenge: What is the way home? Ernő Rubik, 1974 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 2

3 1974 As a young teacher, Ernő Rubik(29) was looking for novel, more exciting ways to explain spatial relationships He used eight interconnected wooden cubes first. 2x2x2 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 3

4 1974 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 4

5 Target and Construction 1. Let the pieces stay together! 2. Let the pieces move only in groups! Cutting a cube with various planes is a fairly standard exercise and leads to the well-known 2 3 and 3 3 arrays. WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 5

6 Result Hungarian Patent No.: HU Applied: 30 January, 1975 Granted: 28 October, 1976 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 6

7 Model and Product 3x3x3 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 7

8 See at Jaaps Puzzle Page Magic Cube Bűvös Kocka It is not a toy it is a puzzle for everyone. Coloration makes the complexity. Excellent tool for self teaching. A challenge for one s logic and patience. Cube has even many sub goals e.g. one can get pleasure out of simply doing one or two sides or just the corners. Magic Cube gave birth to a new class of twisty puzzles. WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 8

9 Complexity Twisty puzzles typically made up of regular corner/edge/center pieces and can be solved using basic tools of abstract algebra. However, if a sufficient number of pieces are fused together, a "bandaged puzzle" emerges, and the mathematics behind this is more complicated. Few variations of classic Rubik s Cube are bandaged puzzles! WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 9

10 Solution Ernő Rubik s notes WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 10

11 Rubik wasn t a marketing savant in 1974, but a shy 29-year-old teacher who did knew he has had created a unique cube WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 11

12 Hungarian Marketing almost without concept, just put on exhibitory shelf! Do not twist! Konsumex December 1978 mathematician Dr. Tibor Laczi, Let me try! Dr. Laczi showed it to Tom Kremer 1979 Contract Production started in Hungary in 1976 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 12

13 Partner is Ideal Toy Co. Tom Kremer was key figure who helped to bring the first Cube to American International Toy Fair in New York in "I knew when I first saw Ernő's Cube creation that it was going to have universal appeal, but it was hard to imagine just how popular it would become," WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 13

14 Marketing in USA 1980 Toy Fair New York Ideal Toy Co. Hungarian connection was important Zsazsa Gabor Prof. Solomon W. Golomb Source: KPCC WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 14

15 Rymes and Robotics Claude Shannon, the father of IT set about to build a device to solve the cube. A Rubric on Rubik Cubics (1981) Strange imports come from Hungary: Count Dracula, and ZsaZsa G., Now Erno Rubik s Magic Cube For PhD or country rube. This fiendish clever engineer Entrapped the music of the sphere. It s sphere on sphere in all 3D A kinematic symphony! Ta! Ra! Ra! Boom De Ay! Source: Scientific American Blog WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 15

16 Cube Big Bang WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 16

17 Cube Impact on Society Media, TV, films Very popular among young ones, but also many ordinary customers were frustrated Mathematicians, scientists, engineers love it Marketing community jumped for it Fashion many more WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 17

18 Recreational Mathematics Prof. David Singmaster is most famous for his cube notation to the Rubik's Cube (i.e., what letters denote what face to turn on the Rubik's Cube) and his huge personal collection of mechanical puzzles and books of brain teasers. He met the Cube in Prof. Solomon Golomb has devised an analogy between Cube corners and quarks, which he has extended into a complete Cubic cosmology. The mating habits of quarks mirror the twisting properties of the `corner cubies' WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 18

19 Two Puzzle Crazes Samuel Loyd s 15 puzzle Rubik s Cube 3x3x3 Source: CTK Insights Rubik, the Amazing Cube Source: X Entertaiment WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 19

20 Puzzle Craze in 1880 U.S. in February Canada in March Europe in April Craze had dissipated by July, same year Puzzle was not introduced to Japan until 1889 The craze was fuelled by numerous cash prizes up to $1000 were offered for anyone who could provide a solution for the swapped situation. See more Fifteen Puzzle WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 20

21 Puzzle Craze in Magic Cube production 12,000 pcs for domestic market 1978 for export 2,100 pcs 1979 contract was signed between Ideal Toys Co., Ltd. and KONSUMEX Foreign Trading Co. to deliver 1 million pcs within a year February, New York Toy Fair. New name: Rubik s Cube Craze had dissipated by 1983 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 21

22 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 22

23 Collected from several sources 180~400 million pcs cubes were sold Video games World Wide Web 2005 You Tube. STEAM Production stopped New York Toy Fair Intn l Mathematicians Conference in Helsinki Production started More Competitions Strengthening the Brand You CAN do the Rubik s Cube World Competition WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 23

24 Outreach 2010 WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 24

25 Outreach 2014: STEAM Project Science, Technlogy, Engineering, Art, Mathematics Exhibition at Liberty Science Center, Jersey City, USA WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 25

26 Ernő Rubik said When you are studying from a book, lots of people go straight to the end to look for the answers. But that's not my style. For me, the most enjoyable part is the puzzle, the process of solving, not the solution itself. But remember: THERE IS ALWAYS A WAY WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 26

27 Invent, play and inspire! Thank you! Photo: Landon Nordeman Smithsonian.com WPCF 2014, Gyöngyös 27