Flexible Articulated 3D-Printed Fidget Slugs

Anxiety: we all experience it. And what better way to help alleviate that feeling than with a 3D-printed, articulated fidget slug? I can’t think of anything. Granted, I’m not trying to think of anything, but I have to save my brainpower for more important things like what’s for lunch. Available from Etsy shop Nates3DPrintedGifts, these slugs are sure to be the next slap bracelets or Tamagotchi, you just watch.

Nate, who sells the slugs but didn’t design them (available to print yourself for free at Thingiverse HERE), prints them in eleven different colors (including rainbow!), and four sizes (4″, 5″, 6″, 7″), ranging in price from $13 – $27 with free shipping included. That doesn’t sound like a bad deal. Granted, I’ve never shopped for 3D-printed fidget slugs before, so I don’t really have any basis for comparison.

Well, I know what all my nieces and nephews are getting for Christmas this year. 3D printed slugs, just to be clear. Apparently, I still have some making up to do for last year since the 63-piece Craftsman tool sets didn’t go over all that well. Still, they’ll be thanking me years from now when they’re moving into their own places. Maybe then I’ll finally earn that Uncle Of The Year award I’ve been chasing.

This inter-dimensional fidget toy will absolutely melt your brain

Fidget toys may be a thing of the past, but the Wavelinks Puzzle feels like something from a futuristic alternate universe. Made entirely from four pieces of interlocking metal, the Wavelinks comes together in unique ways, challenging your eyes, fingers, and mind to find ways to pull the pieces apart.

Rarely do I write about a product that baffles me – although this is clearly one of those times. My eyes are in love with what I’m seeing but my mind fails to comprehend exactly how complicated-yet-beautiful this puzzle is.

Designers: Art of Play & Craighill (Original schematic by Rod Bogart)

Click Here to Buy Now: $98 $160 ($62 off). Hurry, only 5/250 left! Raised over $370,000.

The Wavelinks Puzzle uses four identical metallic pieces that come together to form two interlocking donuts (or toruses to be precise) that are difficult to separate. You can twirl the donuts around, disassemble the individual donut pieces, or just fiddle/fidget with the cold, smooth metallic toy… but separating them requires skill and mental acuity. Whether you figure it out in the first hour of playing with it, or take days to learn its ways, the Wavelinks Puzzle’s wonderful intersection of science and art feels endlessly fascinating to look at and interact with!

The initial idea for the Wavelinks was developed in 2017 by Rod Bogart, using a mechanism that was previously unknown to the puzzle world. A challenge to engineer and manufacture, it took the folks at Art of Play and Craighill up until 2019 to figure out how to make the Wavelinks Puzzle out of metal. Each piece of the Wavelinks Puzzle is machined from Stainless Steel, giving it the heft it needs to feel satisfyingly heavy as you fidget with it.

You can grab a Wavelinks in either matte silver + vapor black, or go for the hypnotizingly beautiful iridescent finish. The Wavelinks measures roughly 3 x 2 x 2.5 inches in size, and weighs a pretty impressive 1 lb 3 ounces. You can even check out some of Craighill’s other impressive metal fidget puzzles on their Kickstarter campaign page below!

Click Here to Buy Now: $98 $160 ($62 off). Hurry, only 5/250 left! Raised over $370,000.

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This ASMR fidget toy will delight your senses to give you a bit of peace

Volcanoes are one of the most unstoppable forces on the Earth, but they can also give birth to something that demonstrates the calming power of nature.

ASMR, the less daunting term for “Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response,” has become such a fad that it has been taken to ridiculous levels by people on social media, particularly YouTube. That’s not to say that the science behind it is as weird as the things people do, and there are definitely psychological benefits to the proper use of this physiological phenomenon. You don’t need to listen to or watch those videos, of course. All you need is the right object to induce a peaceful ASMR experience, like this rather unconventional ball that is born from one of the least peaceful manifestations of nature’s power.

Designer: ZENLET

Click Here to Buy Now: $89.10 $99 (10% off).

Volcanic eruptions are devastating, perhaps more than any other natural disaster. Its effects can even spread around the globe as a blanket of dark clouds and ash. But just like almost everything in nature, volcanoes can produce something beautiful as well in the form of volcanic rocks, sometimes called lava stones. It’s from this unique material that a new kind of fidget toy and meditation device is formed, embodying both sides of nature.

Comes in Moon Black or Mars Red.

Each ball is unique that it is one of nature’s masterpieces.

The Lava Ball is really only half made of volcanic rock, but it is the most prominent and the most important part of the sphere. The way volcanic rock is naturally formed results in random pores and holes that make each rock unique. Once polished and cleaned to remove dirt and bacteria, you have half a sphere that’s just as unique as you are. There will be nothing like it in terms of appearance.

Listening|Embrace the rhythm of the Earth and relieve your stress.

Together with the matte aluminum alloy that forms the bottom half of the ball, this beautiful blend of earth and metal, natural and artificial, creates an almost complete ASMR experience. Run your thumb or finger over the rough surface of the lava rock to activate your sense of touch. Put a drop or two of your favorite essential oil and smell the familiar scent absorbed by the pores of the stone. Tip the ball on a flat surface and listen to it rock back and forth like a metronome. Spin the ball on its magnetic base and lose minutes gazing at the sphere.

Gazing|Focus on the present state to get to the next level of meditation. Awaiting the moments of inspiration to come.

Smelling|Perceive and immerse yourself with the familiar scent to wake up the pleasant memory.

Touching|Experience the unique rock texture to ease the anxiety.

Thanks to the magnet holder, it will always stay on the desktop and come in handy just to inspire you.

Drop one of your favorite essential oil scents and gently turn the ball to spread scents to the air for immediate diffusion.

If you ever needed something to take your mind briefly off things, simply pick up the ball and run your finger over it like a fidget toy. If you really want to relax, drop those scents again and give the ball a twirl to spread the calming aroma farther. Whichever way you use it, each part of this simple yet beautiful ball is designed to lead your mind towards a more relaxed and meditative state without feeling awkward or silly for listening to ASMR clips.

The volcanic and metal halves of the ball are joined together by magnets, making it trivial to mix and match different colors, not to mention making it easier to repair and replace broken parts. The magnetic holder employs nano-suction technology to make it stick to flat non-porous surfaces without using adhesives. A stylish ornament that is probably a better fit on your desk, this palm-sized ball is a reminder that, just like volcanoes, there is always something beautiful that can come out of the most troubling circumstances.

Click Here to Buy Now: $89.10 $99 (10% off).

The post This ASMR fidget toy will delight your senses to give you a bit of peace first appeared on Yanko Design.

OLLY Anger Management Toy can be your best enemy and best friend at the same time

OLLY Interactive Anger Management Toy Concept

This isn’t the first design from Simonas Palovis that we’re seeing, but this one definitely looks the most interesting. The OLLY appears like another cute stuffed toy for your desk, but it does more than just function as table decor.

The angry face of the Olly won’t necessarily inspire you to work hard or fast, but the toy will be there when you’re already feeling outraged. Olly is an anger management toy that lets you express your feelings, especially when you’re in the office or in front of the computer and you can’t scream out of frustration.

Designer: Simonas Palovis

OLLY will be your friend who will listen and be at the receiving end of your anger. So take all your anger out on Olly and he won’t mind. Squeeze, pinch, punch, crush, or do anything to Olly, and the little guy will not fight back. It won’t tell you things you don’t want to hear because Olly is a dear friend whom you still can treat as an enemy.

We’re not saying you go on expressing your anger, but it’s better to let it all out instead of keeping your feelings inside. And instead of getting whatever object your hand can get and throwing it because you’re mad, having the Olly nearby is better.

OLLY Interactive Anger Management Toy Concept

This interactive anger management toy will be there for you. Want to punch something or someone? Just punch Olly and he will gladly let you hurt him. What’s cute about Olly is that his face will change as a response to your punches. He will look mad but don’t worry; he won’t take everything against you.

The designer has a stress and anger management problem. He made Olly as a solution that may help him get rid of stress right away. Venting out one’s anger is okay as long as not directed toward anyone. Olly will be the perfect guy for you because he won’t get hurt or remember what you’ve done or said.

OLLY Interactive Anger Management Toy Concept

The designer Simonas Palovis often comes up with fascinating designs. Just recently, we learned about the Axis convertible standing desk concept. His WEE! Desk won an A’ Design Award for the year 2018. A few years ago, there was the Bud design as his entry to the Electrolux Design Lab too. Looking at his designs, we can tell Palovis focuses on a problem and comes up with innovative, helpful solutions like the Olly.

OLLY Interactive Anger Management Toy Concept

OLLY Interactive Anger Management Toy Concept

OLLY Interactive Anger Management Toy Concept

OLLY Interactive Anger Management Toy Concept

The post OLLY Anger Management Toy can be your best enemy and best friend at the same time first appeared on Yanko Design.

Anti-Stress Push Pop Pads: Like Bubble Wrap, Without the Pop

Stressed out? I think we all are these days. You need an outlet for that stress, or it will eat you up like the shark in Jaws. Enter these anti-stress Push Pop Pads, a stress-reliever and fidget toy for people like me who recognize they’re entirely too uncoordinated to operate a fidget spinner.

Available as $16 two-packs in a variety of shapes and colors, the silicone pads are lined with bubble wrap like dots that can be pushed, making an “audibly satisfying click” as they are, melting your stress away like a scoop of ice cream on a sidewalk in August (alternatively, there are these electronic bubble wrap poppers).

Did you know that according to a very questionable survey paid for by the makers of Bubble Wrap® that popping their product for 60 seconds can provide the stress relief equivalent of a 33-minute massage? Because I call shenanigans on that, especially considering I just popped bubble wrap for five whole minutes and still have a back full of knots and have to do my taxes.

[via BoingBoing]

Nendo’s ‘Random Top’ finds its equilibrium in a haphazard chaotic design





Nendo’s Random Top tries to dispel the myth that spinning tops need to have some modicum of symmetry. The top basically follows the four conditions required for a spinning top to do what it does (axis, center of gravity, weight, and tip shape) and uses those conditions to bend the laws of aesthetics to create a top that doesn’t look like it could spin, but perfectly manages to!

The Random Top outwardly looks like a fused collection of rectangular blocks, but these blocks play their role within the grander scheme of things. They give the top the weight it needs, and an invisible axis allows the top to spin effortlessly, while the weights help reinforce the top’s rotary motion and keep it vertically spinning. “Using a computational procedure known as a genetic algorithm, the four conditions were evaluated — center of gravity, weight, tip shape, and the axis by which the top is both designed to be spun and easiest to spin, so as to find the optimal combination of the object’s shape and the weights’ position and amount”, says Nendo. The top was then fabricated using 3D printing to help realize its unique shape. The top’s design went through as many a hundred iterations, which were each tested out over 200 times before a top capable of spinning for more than 10 seconds was created.

Designer: Nendo

Artiphon Orba review: Much more than a musical fidget toy

I am both fascinated by and skeptical of strange, nontraditional musical instruments. And it’s this very thing that drew me to Artiphon’s Orba. It’s about as nontraditional as you can get. It’s a tiny synthesizer and looper, and an MPE MIDI controlle...

A Phone Case for Phidgeters

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The Pidget Case (a play on the words fidget and phone case) is the latest in a trend of attention deficit remedies! As silly as the craze might seem, it actually proves useful for people who need to move in order to think. However, few remember or are willing to carry these fidget toys along with them.

Integrated into the case, the Pidget Case conveniently incorporates the same functionality as the world famous Fidget Cube. Because you always have your phone, you’ll always have your fidget toy handy so you can flick, spin, click or whatever else you need to do to focus!

By the way, totally calling dibs on “phidget”!

Designer: Choi Jae Yeon

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A fidget toy for Mr. Rubik

Goodbye fidget spinner, hello infinity cube! This machined aluminum cube toy results in hours of fun while it keeps your fingers fidgeting and your mind racing. Comprising 8 interlinked mini-cubes that allow the toy to open up and close back in different orientations, the Infinity Cube keeps your fingers occupied and therefore helps deal with stress and anxiety, while also pushing your brain to solve problems faster.

The cube sits majestically on any desk, coming in two variants… anodized silver, and matte black. When in the cube formation, the smaller aluminum cubes sit in a 2x2x2 orientation, but when opened out, arrange themselves into a 2x4x1 layout that helps the Infinity Cube slide easily into your pocket, allowing you to carry your stress-buster wherever you go… because once you get your hands on this, you won’t be able to stop!

Designer: Bastion LLC

BUY NOW

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Focus Your Excess Energy into This Minimal, Magnetic Fidget Spinner

Channel your fidgeting energy into something physical with the Orbiter Magnetic Fidget Toy. We dig how it looks different from every other fidget spinner out there, yet it’s just as much fun to mess with.

This discrete toy rolls smoothly, with minimal friction, thus giving you more satisfying, extended spins. Focus your anxious energy into this ergonomic toy that supports hand comfort and long-term use. It’s also extremely portable, so you can easily carry it around in your pocket all day long.

Get a more satisfying spin with the Orbiter Magnetic Fidget Toy. It’s just $16.99(USD) in the Technabob Shop – That’s 57% off the regular price.