From cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu Fri Mar 12 17:23:13 1999 Return-Path: Received: from sun28.aic.nrl.navy.mil (sun28.aic.nrl.navy.mil [132.250.84.38]) by mc.lcs.mit.edu (8.9.1a/8.9.1-mod) with SMTP id RAA18928 for ; Fri, 12 Mar 1999 17:23:13 -0500 (EST) Precedence: bulk Errors-To: cube-lovers-errors@mc.lcs.mit.edu Message-Id: <3.0.32.19990311084938.00953240@mail.spc.nl> Date: Thu, 11 Mar 1999 08:49:39 +0100 To: DNewfield@cs.virginia.edu, cube-lovers@ai.mit.edu From: Christ van Willegen Subject: RE: Fwd: Request for spectacular cube-solving - Can anyone help ? At 09:06 26-2-1999 -0500, Dale Newfield wrote: >On Thu, 25 Feb 1999, Christ van Willegen wrote: >> Hey! _I'm_ already teaching my blind friend how to solve a cube! >> We marked the colors of the cube with braille letters spelling >> 1 - 6 dots. We're having a terribly hard time to teach him to solve >> it. It's fun, though... > >How difficult is it to read braille when the characters are in arbitrary >orientations? Have you thought of using some other coding technique that >might prove more easy to distinguish in any orientation? (Any idea what >that might be?) It's not the characters that count, just the numbers of dots. And it seems to be reasonably easy to read the number of dots in any position. Besides, it was the easiest and quickest thing we could think of. The problem with (most) blind people is lack of 3D concepts (I'd almost put a Duh! here). I know I solve the first layer of the cube with insight in the movement of cubelets. I've had lots of trouble describing what I do to my friend! Diagrams are impossible to draw, so you'd have to describe in words _exactly_ where cubelets are to be placed w.r.t. the rest of the cube before a formula can be applied. Too bad we didn't have any time to practise, yet. But we will! > >-Dale > >[Moderator's note: I'm inordinately proud of my own invention, which I >thought I mentioned years ago but can't find in the archives: Wire >symbols glued to a destickered cube, polished to a high gloss. The >symbols are blank opposite dot, square opposite circle, and plus >opposite X. The supergroup is marked by a cutout at a corner of each >face center and the adjacent cubies. I can solve it behind my back, >but when I lent it to a blind computer scientist, he gave up. --Dan] That's also a nice idea. I might try that if the braille dots thing doesn't work. Do you have pictures of this thing on-line? [Moderator's reply: No pics, but the above description should get you pretty close. The only symbols you might want help with are Dot: Made with a short tight spiral of wire, Plus and X: Double-outlined so that they can be made with a continuous strand of wire, end to end. After gluing them down, I put an extra cover of cement to protect the wire and blunt the sharp ends. Silicone protectant ("Armor All" TM in the US) gives it a good feel. I used steel wire about .2mm thick, like a paperclip, but perhaps I should stay vague so you will invent your own variation. ] Dr. Bandelow! Please adjust your machines to make cubes like this :-) [But building it is half the fun! --Dan] Christ van Willegen