Maybe/probably this is already baked, but I've not seen any product....

I've seen a few referrences here to penrose tiles. Aperiodic, interesting patterns, which make your eyes think they see repeating patterns, but they don't actually strictly repeat. They can be arranged in several ways to fit and make new designs.

See the link for a better explanation.

What I'm proposing, is to make actual tiles, eh? Not too novel, but would be neat.

Of course you could have one set of product for tiling floors, walls, etc, just as many folk currently tile their walls. But it'd be much more stimulating when sitting in the bathroom to be staring down at some neat penrose tiles than a simple checkerboard.

Another product line could be toys. Sell them as plastic or ceramic puzzle pieces. Have a set of 10 or so borders (outside constraints). The challenge being to arrange the tiles in the one (or perhaps few) combinations that would fit perfectly into the border/boundary. It could be sold either as a "coffee table" type distraction, or as a stimulating educational toy for kids. Make the pieces big enough that little one's can't swallow them.

update: Yes, I see from the links that this is baked, just not marketed in the US much. Thanks.
-- sophocles, Oct 15 2003

penrose tiles explained http://www2.spsu.edu/math/tile/aperiodic/
background / examples ofThe penrose tile patterns (link originally provided by hippo) [sophocles, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

(?) Whoever does it... http://www.noveltyn...es/slips/fs_151.htm
..had better do it with permission. He'll sue. [st3f, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

A house in which I used to live had a tiling pattern in the laundry/bathroom/toilet part of the house which was like what you describe, except with circular patterns rather than polygons. It was quite clever, and made you dizzy after a while.
-- Detly, Oct 15 2003


I love it.
Shame that I probably won't be able to charge as much to install them though.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 16 2003


I'd have thought you'd be able to charge more. You'd have to be a bit more creative in terms of making them fit together and not getting stuck with a triangular hole in the middle of your tesselation of starshapes and rhombuses. More effort, more time, more money.

Croissant, anyway. I want these in my bathroom.
-- Guy Fox, Oct 16 2003



random, halfbakery