Tower of Hanoi

thingiverse

The Tower of Hanoi puzzle created in these files consists of a rectangular base and three identical cylinder posts that hold five discs. Given a stack of n disks arranged with the largest at the bottom of a post and the smallest on top, the challenge is to find the minimum number of moves to transfer the stack from one post to another. Only moves are allowed when a smaller disk is placed on top of a larger disk. Print Settings Printer Brand: SeeMeCNC Printer: Rostock MAX Notes: The Tower of Hanoi was printed with minimal issues. We slowed down the printer speed significantly when printing the actual posts to prevent warping or melting. The printer bed was kept slightly hotter than usual, and a good layer of hairspray was applied to help with sticking. A sticky bed is required for the discs to prevent them from popping off before the print is complete. The initial files are in inches, and the models shown in photos were scaled down to 50% of their original size. How I Designed This Our inspiration for the Tower of Hanoi came from RcNerdHW's model on Thingiverse. Using Rhino, we created the base with few issues. The biggest challenge was determining the correct hole size for each disc to move easily on and off the posts. We concluded that posts of 0.5 inches required discs with holes of 0.7 inches to achieve the desired fit. There is one file for the base and one for the discs. Five different sets of discs, each in a different color, were printed to make the tower more visually appealing. All prints were scaled down to 50% of their original size. Overview and Background You won't want to miss watching CO solve the Tower in record time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm0ljMLemKs JC, ML, CO 12/2016 Lesson Plan and Activity The Tower of Hanoi has several applications in the classroom that contributed to our decision to create this puzzle. The first is having students derive an equation for the minimum number of moves required to transfer n discs successfully from one post to another (2n-1). Students can also use the Tower of Hanoi to practice problem-solving skills or simply take a brain break. Finally, the tower can be used to introduce combinatoric puzzles. Whatever your Tower is for, it's a great piece to show how math comes alive with a 3D printer.