Fentix Cube: If Rubik was smarter, had multi-touch

Developed by Andrew Fentem, the Fentix Cube features a cube of (patent pending) multi-touch touchscreens allowing for a myriad of multi-dimensional games, puzzles, and whatnots manipulated by the swipe of your greasy fingers. Best of all, it'll be on sale in limited quantities from London's (now infamous) Kinetica Museum. See it in action just beyond the break.

Update: We just heard from Andrew, his cube also packs a "3D system of accelerometers for gesture sensing a la Wii."

[Matt H @ Oct 19th 2007 5:34AM]

I have got to get one of those..

[bugmat @ Oct 19th 2007 5:37AM]

Very cool looking! The only possible problem is if all the surfaces respond to touch playing a game on that might be pretty error-filled experience. Imagine grabbing sides by accident! I'd like to see how they account for that...

[Le Master @ Oct 19th 2007 6:04AM]

Just brilliant. Until the Olympicubes (.com) are released, which it seems they never will be, this is the closest we're all going to get to anything larger than a Professor Rubik (5x5x5), besides the Gabbasoft software, which I personally just cannot get accustomed to.

I bet these things are going to come at quite a cost, so it would be nice if somehow the software could be updated as little tweaks to make the cubes more usable are discovered over time.

Now excuse me while I go change my pants.

[Tavis Veighey @ Oct 19th 2007 3:14PM]

I think that they died...
http://www.olympicubes.com/
Goes to a page by "Webadvertisingcorp"

And when I do a google search for "Olympicubes" I get a bunch of forum posts...

When I do an image search to see this saught after puzzle, even in prototype form... I can't find a blasted thing?

Does this "Olympicube" even exist?

[Le Master @ Oct 19th 2007 3:41PM]

My apoligies, it's just http://www.olympicube.com/ (with no 's' at the end of 'cube').

But yeat, it does exist, just in prototype form. People who have been lucky enough to test them out say they turn like an absolutely dream. The videos are at the bottom of the page.

[Le Master @ Oct 19th 2007 4:12PM]

Yuck, sorry for all the spelling errs in my last comment, I typed it from my phone and it was quite arduous.

[Darkest Daze @ Oct 19th 2007 6:51AM]

Now instead of peeling off the stickers, we'll have to hack the chip controlling the LED's. Same concept, but updated for the 21st century.

[Per Olsson @ Oct 19th 2007 7:34AM]

The kinetic surfaces (third item on his page). Look very cool as well. How do they do that?

[Galen Troup @ Oct 19th 2007 8:15AM]

*If Rubik WERE smarter
Subjunctive!

[Orionrecon @ Oct 19th 2007 12:16PM]

I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure was is correct, it's not subjunctive because it isn't an ongoing statement, if Rubik, in the past when he created the cube at one specific point in time (not ongoing), was smarter.

Though I could be incorrect.

[Dauthi @ Oct 19th 2007 9:01AM]

Is it the Fentix Cube or the Fetix?

I wish engadget would proof their articles. It's nice that it's a blog, but integrity and credibility should still be concerns.

[Orionrecon @ Oct 19th 2007 12:18PM]

It's Fentix for sure, where did you get Fetix from?

[Dauthi @ Oct 19th 2007 12:22PM]

Must have been corrected.
"Developed by Andrew Fentem, the Fentix Cube" was 'Fetix'.

[Ignacio @ Oct 19th 2007 9:19AM]

OK, now someone release a multitouch-enabled software cube for the iPhone: one finger to rotate a face, two to rotate the whole cube... :-)

[Randomness @ Oct 19th 2007 9:53AM]

Does anyone else remember this thing from Star Trek Voyager!? It was their verson of the rubik's cube, and 7-of-9 was the only one that solved it.

[Alexander @ Oct 19th 2007 10:08AM]

It should scramble the sides when you shake it, if it has the accelerometers.

[Boynamedsue @ Oct 19th 2007 11:35AM]

two please.

i was psyched when i saw rubiks revolution but it turned out to be a cubical equivelent of 'bop it'

[Galen Troup @ Oct 19th 2007 3:45PM]

Yeah I'm pretty sure you're wrong.
The (incomplete) statement would be qualified with a present verb
e.g if Rubik was smarter, I would like cake
not: if Rubik was smarter, I would have liked cake
therefore the conditional verb (was) should be "were".
But who really cares.

[Galen Troup @ Nov 15th 2007 6:19PM]

Sorry, I meant to reply to your comment, Orionrecon, but i seem to have failed.

[silvarga @ Oct 19th 2007 5:02PM]

It's interesting and all, but nothing beat that tactile quality actual Rubiks cubes had. It was relaxing in a similar way to popping packaging bubblewrap.