Joysphere Alpha

This is the first little widget in a line of experimental devices I'm working on. It's a sphere that pivots freely and smoothly around its own center point, without resting on any of its external surface. It's also a proof-of-concept for 3D printed conical journal bearings.

Future versions will integrate sensors (mainly limit switches, nothing fancy) into the base, to turn this into a large d-pad that doesn't require fingers. The plan is to make something that could be used as an accessibility device, but which also lets advanced users move input axes to their wrist to free up fingers.

This design, like most of my work, is 100% 3D printed and requires no fasteners, but you will need glue to add the (purely cosmetic) cap to the sphere. Pay attention to the orientation of bearing surfaces in your slicer!

The next version will absolutely get rid of the sphere cap, because changes to the design should allow a fully supportless sphere.