The I06 Scientific Hex is an outdoor experiment station with optical illusions on six sides. A rotating optical wheel, a distorting mirror, ‘Whose face is it?’ mirrors and puzzle boards let you test how easily the human eye can be fooled. It works well in schools, nurseries, education centres and public spaces.
It all starts at the rotating wheel. The child spins the disc and stares at the centre, and when the wheel stops, the world flows the other way for a moment: the neurons that detect motion tire and damp down their signal, so the ones for the opposite direction take over. Aristotle described the effect after looking at a waterfall and then at the rocks beside it. The other sides show other rules - the vase that is also two faces was drawn by the Danish psychologist Edgar Rubin in 1915, and the triangle that is impossible to build was devised by the mathematician Roger Penrose. Each of these illusions reveals a rule the brain applies all day long, even when nothing is fooling anyone.
How can you be sure the illusions will last for years outdoors? The mirrors are not glass but polished stainless steel - they do not shatter or crack, and the reflection stays sharp after rain and frost. The graphics are printed on film protected by a UV-resistant laminate, so the colours do not fade in the sun. The mechanical parts are made of the same metal, and the frame is galvanised and powder-coated. The Hex works outdoors all year round and is covered by a warranty. The manufacturer is EduPlayground, and the equipment is made in Poland.
The eye learns to look closely
Following a spinning pattern and spotting differences between pictures trains visual perception - the same perception that, when a child learns to read, decides whether they tell apart the letters ‘p’ and ‘b’ or the digits 2 and 5.
A lesson in seeing with the brain
An illusion works because the eye gathers fragments and the brain fills in the rest of the picture. A child who has seen this with their own eyes has a first foothold for critical thinking: ‘it looks like that, but is it really?’
An illusion that takes two
The ‘Whose face is it?’ mirrors only work when two children stand on either side and look at the same time. The other stations are set around the structure, so several sides can be used at once.
What's on the sides of the Hex
The stations make up the body of the Hex, and each one fools the eye in a different way.
Rotating optical wheel
The disc turns on stainless bearings, and the pattern on it starts to pulse and swirl the opposite way. Slow spinning gives a different effect from fast, so one station is enough for many attempts.
Graphic illusions panel
Lines that look curved though they are straight, patterns that pulse in place, squares that change shade the longer you look. A ruler or a finger held up against them settles the argument. Op art built an entire art form on these same effects.
‘Whose face is it?’ mirrors
Two children stand on either side of the mirrors and look at the same time. The reflections combine into one face: one eye belongs to one child, the other to the other. Swapping places gives a different result, because every face is asymmetrical in its own way.
Distorting mirror
A curved sheet of polished steel stretches and squeezes the reflection: up close the head grows, from further away the legs. It is not the child that changes, but the shape of the surface reflecting the light. One step back or a funny face is enough to change the reflection again.
Puzzle board
Ambiguous pictures that show a vase one moment and two faces the next, impossible figures and logic puzzles. The brain does not hold two readings at once; it jumps between them - and you can see that after a moment of looking.
Specification
Technical data
Front view - from technical drawing I06.
Catalogue no.
I06
Dimensions
diameter 217cm | height: 260cm
Safety zone
5 x 5.2 m
Children's age
from 3 years
Material
Steel frame, mirror - polished stainless steel. Print on self-adhesive film protected by a UV-resistant laminate. Mechanical parts made of stainless steel. Stainless bearings. Main structural profile: closed profile (80x80x2mm), black steel.
Protection
Galvanised, powder-coated frame
Colour
Green (RAL 6018)
Installation
Galvanised steel anchors L=75 cm, set in the ground and concreted in; bolted connection to the equipment.
Before the Hex goes into the playground, our adviser will help you plan all the technical details. We are with you at every stage of the project, sharing our knowledge and experience so that the equipment serves children as well as possible for many years.
Once you enter your email address, the catalogue of science, sensory and therapeutic equipment is sent to your inbox.
Cookie consent
With your consent, this site uses cookies for statistics and advertising. Without consent, the site works fully. You can change your choice at any time via the ‘Cookie settings’ link in the footer. Privacy policy
