Impossible Penrose Triangle as a 3D printed object -- UPDATED

A cunning 3D designer named Artur Tchoukanov has worked out a way to 3D print the "impossible" Penrose Triangle, a famous optical illusion seen in the work of MC Escher.

"The first clue was that the top face was in shadow (darker)... that let me to believe that it was a concave surface. Then I figured that they all need to be connected." Artur then designed his solution using Rhino. So we're curious to see if Artur did solve it? Or is there another solution?

Impossible 3D printed Penrose Triangle: solved?

Update: Ulrich sez, "It has now come to our attention that Artur was not the first to figure it out. The original design and printed object were created by Ulrich Schwanitz who confirmed to us that Artur's solution is correct. Make sure to check the video, it will blow your mind even if you know how it works."

• [Methusedalot]

  Now this is a wonderful example of bespoke makery.

• [Anonymous]

  A new, entirely original version has been uploaded here:
  http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:6513

  It is fundamentally different to both the main design in question as well as artur’s model.

• [Anonymous]

  Not really convincing. My first impression was one of open 3sided boxes, not one of closed cubes, because the perspective of the outer edges of those “cubes” isn’t right. The object could be corrected for that, but only for one point of view.

• [davr]

  What an ass. He is now claiming copyright on the shape, and threatening anybody who posts it online:

  http://blog.thingiverse.com/2011/02/18/copyright-and-intellectual-property-policy/

• [davr]

  Step 1: Make interesting optical illusion
  Step 2: Challenge people to figure it out
  Step 3: Threaten anyone who solves it
  Step 4: …
  Step 5: Profit?

• [Anonymous]

  The first person known to design this “solution” for the Penrose triangle was Swedish artist Oscar Reutersvärd, as early as in the 1930´s. There are a few other “solutions” as well.

• [joris]

  Francis Tabary created a 3D version of the Penrose triangle in 2004
  http://www.francistabary.com/index.php?menu=detail_impossible&num=20

• [Anonymous]

  @trompevenlo, the copyright troll: If you want to claim rights as the “inventor”, you should have registered a design patent. Tough shit that you didn’t. You can’t claim copyright over an idea or a solution to a problem. If you claim to have found a “solution” – and I’m not buying into this marketing idiocy because I know what “mathematically impossible” means – then such a solution would be purely functional and not protectable. Again, to steal solutions from problems out of the public domain and lock them up as IP, you need a patent.

• [duann]

  Oscar Reutersvärd never made a version in 3D so Ulrich really was the first to do this. Obviously based on a classic design. All later versions are based on Ulrich’s realization. They may not be ‘direct copies’ but they are intellectually based on his innovation.

  http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/747-IP,-3D-Printing-DMCA.html

• [trompevenlo]

  Yes, Artur (sort of) figured it out from our original design, the actual print that we made and the published pictures.

  I am a little disappointed to see him noted as the inventor.

• [duann]

  Looks like Artur may have figured it out..

  Here is the original Impossible triangle 5″ – 12 cm by trompevenlo
  http://www.shapeways.com/model/206411/impossible_triangle_5____12_cm.html?gid=cg14

  and a cool video of one that is actually 3D printed and held by a human (we think)

  • [Anonymous]

    How about this version of the Escher ellusion http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxhsfmng5D8
    and a whole series of mathematical art:
    http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=abakker0&aq=f

    Enjoy!

    • [Anton]

      Or how about the impossible famous MC Escher cube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XwgGNx1bEKc

      Fractal tree: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8kUXgfGm9dI

      Some of these are made in Bronze and steel