All products featured on WIRED are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
You look around the house and you have Duplo Blocks the kids have outgrown, Tinker Toys Grandma bought them and K'nex that they wanted for their birthday. Don't forget the Lego Bricks and the Lincoln Logs from your childhood. If only there was a way to make them all work together. Think of the epic living room engineering feats you could accomplish.
For all those GeekDads who sat up nights thinking about this, and for those who haven't, we present for your approval The Free Universal Construction Kit. A free set of 3D Printable blocks that can interface these ten building systems together:
- Lego
- Duplo
- Fischertechnik
- Gears! Gears! Gears!
- K'Nex
- Krinkles (Bristle Blocks)
- Lincoln Logs
- Tinkertoys
- Zome
- Zoob
OK, so your Capsela and Erector set aren't covered yet. Give them time. Until then there's always duct tape or Sugru.
Head over to The Free Universal Construction Kit for videos of the blocks in action and a poster of the interoperability matrix. Also there are links to the files needed to print these out on a Makerbot if you have access to one. Check your local Hackerspace to see if you can get them printed out there.
