The object
Chuck Hoberman invented the Hoberman Sphere, an expanding scissor-linked structure adapted into a colorful hand-operated toy. MIT’s Lemelson Center documents the sphere as a foundational Hoberman invention, while Smithsonian materials identify its toy and large-scale structural forms.
01
What Chuck did
invented the scissor-linked expanding Hoberman Sphere mechanism and adapted it into a widely sold tactile toy
02
Why it matters
The Hoberman Sphere translated a distinctive deployable mechanism into a highly recognizable educational toy and inspired major kinetic architectural installations.
03
Living-status check
Cornell AAP scheduled Hoberman to deliver a public lecture on his transformable structures on September 10, 2025.