#ChildrensToys #Contests ### Teaching a Squishy Ball How to Spin We might look similar, but they don't spin like me. 😏 The idea for HelixCore started when I saw several amazing squishy ball fidgets recently. They were simple, satisfying, and fun to play with. But as a mechanical design engineer, I couldn't stop asking myself: **What if a squishy ball could spin by itself?** The inspiration actually came from classic spinning tops that convert linear motion into rotational motion using a screw-like mechanism. I loved that concept and wanted to see if I could bring it into a modern fidget toy. The challenge wasn't making it spin. The challenge was making it spin and reliably return to its original shape every single time. I experimented with several concepts, including one-way bearings after watching a MakerMuse video. It sounded promising at first, but during testing the mechanism would occasionally lock at the wrong moment during rebound and ruin the experience. I also tried fully printed bearings, but the compressive loads turned out to be much higher than expected. After multiple prototypes and plenty of failed experiments, I eventually arrived at a combination of a ball screw, clutch mechanism, elastic return system, and dual 608 bearings. The result became HelixCore. A fidget toy that looks like a simple squishy ball on the outside, but transforms every squeeze into a spinning motion. Just: Press. Spin. Release. No twisting. No second step. No extra hand required. One thing I particularly enjoyed designing was the modular shell system. It allows different color layouts and future variants while keeping the same core mechanism. HelixCore perfectly represents the kind of designs I love making: **Funny Design, Serious Engineering.** Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this strange little engineering rabbit hole as much as I enjoyed creating it. 😆 Model Link👉 https://makerworld.com/models/2910956?appSharePlatform=copy(Edited)