Can you guess what this object is?

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I happened upon this geometric object by chance earlier. It has several interesting properties. If you already know it, don't spoil it for others just yet, but if it's new to you can you guess what some of these are?

It was very easy to create in Alibre (and in any other CAD program) too!

Neil

[Martin ConnellyParticipant @martinconnelly55370]

Stephen Fry had one on QI.

Martin C

[Alan Johnson 7Participant @alanjohnson7]

As Alice said "curiouser and curiouser"

[not done it yetParticipant @notdoneityet]

Guessing it is a shape that maintains the same height whichever way it is stood or while rolling. In other words a peculiar shaped ‘ball’? If I am correct, I have no idea of what other properties it may have. 3-D computer mouse maybe?

[Jeff DaymanParticipant @jeffdayman43397]

Looks like the Pope's hat to me

[blowlampParticipant @blowlamp]

It looks like 4 half cones placed back to back and joined.

[AdrianRParticipant @adrianr18614]

Well from the image I can say it is unusual in that it has one side, two edges and four corners.

Adrian

[SandgrounderParticipant @sandgrounder]

I think it's a face mask before the ear loops are sewn on.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I think it could replace a wet finger.

[Danny M2ZParticipant @dannym2z]

!/2 of a futuristic bra?

[pgk pgkParticipant @pgkpgk17461]

A high status tanzanite sugar scoop.

[camperParticipant @camper]

a factory local to me made thousands they thought they were ball bearings, the joys of centreless grinding

[Andrew TinsleyParticipant @andrewtinsley63637]

Looks like a Mobius strip to me.

Andrew.

[lfoggyParticipant @lfoggy]

Looks a bit like my son's cycling aero 'time trial' helmet.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

NDIY is closest, it keeps the its overall height and that of its centre of gravity constant as it rolls.

It's called an Sphericon (I'll have forgotten taht by tomorrow) basically a square with two half-cones on each side, at ninety degrees to each other.

From wikipedia:

Next Andrew – it was discovered by a someone trying to carve a mobius strip without a hole in it.

 

Oops – muddled it up with the similar Oloid…

 

They would actually work as ball bearings – but only between two flat surfaces…

Neil

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 06/06/2020 17:18:38

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

A tricky thing to measure I would think

Mike

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I'm waiting for Neil to make a metal one

[Author]

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