Floating Happy Birthday Cube

happy_birthday_optical_illusion_thumbDon’t ask me why, but somehow these kind of videos never get boring (at least speaking for myself)! The magical floating cube below was constructed by graphic designer Peter Dahmen. If you wish, you can even download a free tutorial, one that will guide through process of creating this one yourselves. It’s just like the time we gave you a printable cut-out, where you could build that funny looking dragon, whose eyes kept following you wherever you go!

I’m sure you’ll quickly realize the magic behind this video, yet with all our experience, and after seeing so many illusions here, my brain simply doesn’t allow me to see the cube in its true nature. How about you? Can you force yourself to see it properly?

39 Replies to “Floating Happy Birthday Cube”

  1. Yes, I can force my brain to see it correctly, but only for small amounts of time, it keeps popping outward.

    I think it is easier when he is outside and the shadows help the eyes tells the brain what they are really seeing :).

  2. I actually find it easier to see it how it really is, which is interesting. I kind of have to “force” myself (or maybe just relax?) to see it as an optical illusion. I like these kinds of illusuins too :)

  3. I don’t know about any one else but I was able to see though the illusion,
    by not focusing on the cube but the background,
    but it’s cool illusion though :)

  4. I can make myself see it properly, but only for a couple of seconds at a time. Such a cool illusion though when you just let your eyes be fooled!

  5. I can force my brain to understand and see the true nature of the box, but only for a few seconds. As soon as the object moves a little my brain pops back to the floating cube.

  6. Gotta love this! I have the dragon sitting, taped onto the top of my monitor at work, looking at the door. People come in there all the time and say, “Oh! That’s so cool!! He’s watching me!”

    As for the cube, my mind knows the trick, but my just can’t process it correctly.

    A lot of fun!

  7. yeah I got it, (for two seconds of the video) after I stared at the picture for half an hour. Optical illusions are frustrating.

  8. This works because it is on video and therefor in two dimentions (2D). In this case the brain infers depth that it does not actually percieve. the illusion really doesn’t work in person with both eyes open because we then extract the actual depth. Close one eye, however, and it will, or should work.

  9. epic! when i first saw him hold it in his hand i thought it looked alot like a cheap special effect (it looked like the framerate was a little messed) but after it showed the base i was like niceeeee
    keep it up peter!

  10. omg that is on the second best illusions i’ve ever seen! (the dragon illusion beats it just slightly still)
    i can see through the illusion if i really tried though, but only for a few seconds and it will pop back into a cube.

  11. The way I force myself to see it is to focus on the point where the 3 lines intersect (the Y shape) and just always picture that point as the furthest point away from me. This way my mind perceives it in the background, not the forefront, and the object doesn’t seem like a cube anymore.

  12. The illusion was very good, nice to have instructions for the build. But what fantastic jazz piano was playing at the time. I am a jazz pianist, this stuff’s not easy! It is so good that it rather got in the way of the illusion! Can we find out who was playing, and what?

  13. wow, i might try that myself… i’ts just too cool.
    thought i can’t post on images, i don’t seem to be a real user… ;.;

  14. I found it much esier to see it proppaly if I paused the video rather then when he was moving it around.

  15. Spoiler Alert XP – You won’t see the illusion so easily after you do this.

    To start the illusion don’t focus, just the follow the motion. To stop it focus on the centre.

  16. i watched it once and it seemed like a normal cube, but the second rime i watched it i could see the illusion!!!!!!

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