Zometool information

Zometool is a construction set toy that had been created by a collaboration of Steve Baer (the creator of Zome architecture), artist Clark Richert, Paul Hildebrandt (the present CEO of Zometool), and co-inventor Marc Pelletier.^[1][2][3] It is manufactured by Zometool, Inc. According to the company, Zometool was primarily designed for kids. Zometool has also been used in other fields including mathematics and physics. For example, aperiodic tilings such as Penrose tilings can be modeled using Zometool. The learning tool was designed by inventor-designer Steve Baer, his wife Holly and others.

The Zometool plastic construction set toy is produced by a privately owned company of the same name, based outside of Longmont, Colorado, and which evolved out of Baer's company ZomeWorks. Its elements consist of small connector nodes and struts of various colors. The overall shape of a connector node is that of a non-uniform small rhombicosidodecahedron with each face replaced by a small hole. The ends of the struts are designed to fit in the holes of the connector nodes, allowing for syntheses of a variety of structures. The idea of shape-coding the three types of struts was developed by Marc Pelletier and Paul Hildebrandt. To create the "balls," or nodes, Pelletier and Hildebrandt invented a system of 62 hydraulic pins that came together to form a mold. The first connector node emerged from their mold on April 1, 1992.^[3]

In the years since 1992, Zometool has extended its product line, though the basic design of the connector node has not changed so all parts to date are compatible with each-other. From 1992 until 2000, Zometool produced kits with connector nodes and blue, yellow, and red struts. In 2000, Zometool introduced green struts, prompted by French architect Fabien Vienne, which can be used to construct the regular tetrahedron and octahedron. In 2003, Zometool changed the style of the struts slightly. The struts "with clicks" have a different surface texture and they also have longer nibs which allow for a more robust connection between connector node and strut.