Hi Shapeways fans,

Looney Gears is a strange eccentric planetary gearing system. Whereas normal planetary gear systems are symmetrical, this one has no symmetry whatsoever.

This particular set of gears was the result of a challenge by Oskar to Andreas Röver in 2006. Andreas found this nice set of all-primary-numbers gears which is about 0.01% exact.

At this moment, it is not known whether there exist exact solutions for this type of eccentric planetary gear systems. Oskar's conjecture is that no exact solution exists. It would make a nice math graduation project to prove the conjecture or find a counter example.

Watch the YouTube video.
Watch the animation.
Buy the object at my Shapeways Shop.
Read more at the Non-Twisty Puzzles Forum.
Check out the photos below.

Enjoy!

Oskar

P.S. My Californian friend George Miller asked me to make a video in pouring rain. Such situation is much more rare in my country than you would expect. Finally, the right conditions were there: pouring rain and a water-proof puzzling object ready for demonstration.

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[Updated on: Sun, 22 July 2012 08:50 UTC]