Reverse engineering as a civic activity:
The Free Universal Construction Kit: a set of adapters for complete interoperability between 10 popular construction toys.
F.A.T. Lab and Sy-Lab present the Free Universal Construction Kit: a matrix of nearly 80 adapter bricks that enable complete interoperability between ten* popular children’s construction toys. By allowing any piece to join to any other, the Kit encourages totally new forms of intercourse between otherwise closed systems—enabling radically hybrid constructive play, the creation of previously impossible designs, and ultimately, more creative opportunities for kids. As with other grassroots interoperability remedies, the Free Universal Construction Kit implements proprietary protocols in order to provide a public service unmet—or unmeetable—by corporate interests.
The Kit in use, connecting four different systems together.
Select adapters from the Free Universal Construction Kit.
The Free Universal Construction Kit offers adapters between Lego, Duplo, Fischertechnik,Gears! Gears! Gears!, K’Nex, Krinkles (Bristle Blocks), Lincoln Logs, Tinkertoys, Zome, and Zoob. Our adapters can be downloaded from Thingiverse.com and other sharing sites as a set of 3D models in .STL format, suitable for reproduction by personal manufacturing devices like the Makerbot (an inexpensive, open-source 3D printer).
The Free Universal Construction Kit adapter matrix. (PDF.)
Downloaded individual parts from Thingiverse.com
Get the complete kit as a 29MB .zip archive from the F.A.T. Lab web site, here.
