Concept 2
Water Words
Principles behind Water Words
"Water Words" is a toy that relies on the viscosity of the fluid in which the game board is suspended. In a nutshell, "water words" is a game similar to Scrabble, with some major differences. Cubes with letters and numbers printed on each face of the cube are suspended in one end of an hour-glass like cylinder (ie. two ends with a small opening between both ends in the center of the cylinder). Relying on the viscosity of the fluid to slow the motion of the cubes through the small opening makes it easier to arrange these cubes in a fashion form words or phrases on the other side of the cylinder. The cubes are held in place on the other side of the cylinder by a maze-like formation designed to hold one or several of the cubes together.
Interaction with Toy
The mechanics of the cubes being slowed by the viscosity of fluid in which they are suspended was explained, now I will explain the objective of this game. Each of the cubes are colored with one of four different colors; red, blue, yellow, or green. Each of these different colors is assigned a different point value (ie. 25 points for red, 20 points for blue, 10 points for yellow, and 1 point for green). Thus, creating a word with more red cubes in it is more beneficial to attaining a higher score. The letters that are less common in the English language such as, "X", "Z", and "Q" will be assigned a higher point value and thus, will be colored red, whereas letter such as "E", "A", and "S" will be assigned a lower point value and thus will be colored green. The object of this game is to maximize one's score. This game can be played alone or with other people. The ideal age for this toy is anywhere over the age of eight, as it is a game for anyone who can read. In addition, this game is meant mostly for car rides, as it is a game that requires much patience, and no freely moving parts.
Construction Cost, Durability, and Safety
This toy will probably cost around $15.00 to construct, as the the cubes have to machined from some sort of durable polyurethane or polyvinyl blend. On top of machining the cubes and coloring the cubes with the appropriate pigment, as well as engraving them with letters and numbers, the actually cylinder of clear plexiglass must be cut to size, along with the maze frame inside the cylinder, that holds the cubes in place, once they have been shaken into place. In addition, a type of fluid that does not lead to decay or color loss of the lettered cubes must be chemically synthesized. Since plexiglass is nearly impossible to break, this toy should be very durable and very safe. The only way I could envision a problem occuring with this toy would be if someone were to roll over it with a car, at which time the maybe toxic liquid would leak.
Graphics
Relevant Links to Similar Toys
