Dot Matrix Cube

This cube can display dotted characters, symbols, images and graphs on a 2-dimensional array of dots. When dot patterns are moved to a selected face by rotating and twisting some parts of the cube, a dot matrix display can be built with a resolution of 6 x 6 dots. In the initial state, six different groups of six identical dot patterns each, are displayed on the six cube faces. All six dot patterns of a group have the same orientation.

The six different kinds of dot patterns may have zero, one, two, three or four dots. By rotating the one-, two- and three-dot patterns a total of 16 different patterns can be achieved. Theoretically, a cube face can display 2³⁶ images, which is equal to 68'719'476'736 or more than 68.7 billion. However, due to mechanical restrictions not all of these combinations can be achieved.

The layout of the Dot Matrix Cube was created in 2009 by André Boulouard and Walter Randelshofer.

PDF document with algorithms by André Boulouard for displaying dotted characters on the cube.

Faces of the cube: 1024 x 1024, 2048 x 2048

Enlarged view

Animated cube