Spherical Parallel Manipulator Prototype
**This Model is Functional but Unoptimized **
DISCLAIMER: (2026) This was a fun project but I have not actively worked on it or put out a new version in over a year now. Have fun printing it, as it works fine as described, but please do not expect further update or development to make a better version. My printer is kinda broken and I have been working on other things. Thanks for all the support all who continue to download this thing.
UPDATE: (2024) MakeBreakRepair, The creator of the original video and mechanism I took inspiration from, has joined the Discord and is helping me design 2.0. He also appears to be making a second version of his own. Check the discord for details. Thanks for the shoutout MakeBreakRepair!
Check out this video that was my inspiration for more details and a demonstration:
https://youtu.be/6yx700AdzLI?si=OWtkXrEeZeETxUBn
His version is much more robust. But he wasnt sharing or selling the files, so I figured I'd take a crack at it, and I managed to get a functioning prototype going within a few hours and two printing iterations. I plan on beefing it up, especially if there is interest from people who need it for actual usage.
This type of mechanism has many uses and drive modes, but this model is undriven and you just move it manually.
The Model is designed to use (6) m4x12 screws and nuts, but I also made some snap in fasteners you can just print to get going. These will wear out over time and become looser, but will suffice for most peoples usage. Print 3 of both sizes, and use the longer three on the tri-platform and the shorter three on the rotators.
The Threaded Platform is something I added so that you can dial the height of an object to anywhere you want to focus on. There is a space on the inside of it for an optional 6x2mm Magnet so that you can make things snap to it magnetically and stay in position.
The Model does need (3) Standard 608 Skateboard bearings, the type that are used in fidget spinners and many 3d Printing products. I can post a version that doesnt require these but it is much stiffer in its movement (something that some may find desirable)
Most of the parts do not require supports, But you must use supports on the following parts: LinkageSPMx3 (Print 3 of these).
I printed mine close together, almost overlapping, so that their support structure would be one single piece, and it worked really well.
Spherical Parallel Manipulator Prototype
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Hey guys, excellent work. Apologies for not sharing my print files (or responding to comments), i shot the video for friends and somehow it went viral and I only recently noticed. I posted an update vid covering why I haven't released the CAD (in short: it's a mess and made for bits I had on hand) but I'm happy to make a version for/with the community, happy to help out this project too. Update vid https://youtu.be/wN02itp6-z4
Okay,
I have printed your design successfully. It works nicely at first glance (I did not try it under a microscope with an object to look at every angle) and the addition of the threaded platform is great!
I have several remarks to improve the design and try to get as close to the video as possible.
How could we exchange more efficiently? Discord server maybe?
https://discord.gg/pNTctGbZ
Thanks for this! I'm going to give it a print and check it out! I work with parts with tight and occasionally near zero tolerances, and I'm interested in using it with my digital microscope for checking various surfaces of a part at various angles! It's similar to the original use shown in the video on YouTube (which is how I found your project), and I think it could make certain aspects of my job a bit easier! Thanks and congrats on your success!
awesome. I wish you luck. I hope its rigid enough for your use, consider printing the Linkage arms with a high infill so they can be even stronger.
btw, if its not rigid enough, let me know, I will make a bigger one with thicker linkages. You could just scale the whole thing but then you need bigger screws and bigger bearings.
Id love to see this actually used by someone in a real practical use case, but it may take a few iterations to be what you need. Dont hesitate to give any and all feedback, please lol. Thanks again for your interest
Hi! I was wondering how should I redesign the model if I want to achieve 90 degree rotation on each axis? What is the 'secret sauce'?
Hi, Im sorry to say but.... I do not know. we are currently trying to figure that out. Ive basically reverse engineered this from a persons design who also reverse engineered it from someone else's design.. so I do apologize that I may not have much to tell you. I have been in contact with the person who built the one I was inspired by and we still havent made it much better at all.
I invite you to join the discord and you can see ALL our discussion on the subject and maybe youll figure out something we havent. https://discord.gg/AH2WsCvU
i done one . perfect. thanks
I would love to be able to make one for examining my gemstones. It’s perfect for mounting the gemstone dop (small brass rod that gemstone is attached to) onto the holder to exam the facets during the faceting process to make sure the meets (place where faceted points come together) are perfect.
So cool to see that someone has made this file available. I saw the original Video with the green one and was pretty chapped that guy didn't upload his file. I'm super interested in giving this a go for Miniature Painting, and holding something at an angle for long periods of time and being able to move it slightly to the side or rotate it on a movable axis. I'm thinking you could scale it up to larger bearings too for bigger models. Definitely interested to see in how this model progresses.
Ill be honest, this may not work great for that just yet. It doesnt easily hold its angle. You can adjust the stiffness of course by tightening the joints more or less, but I havent experimented with that or anything the weight of a miniature yet. but its absolutely the goal and im working on making a more robust version as we speak. Im starting to experiment with detents on the base plate to keep it from spinning so freely.
i'm thinking the same thing... miniature painting for impossible angles...
Are you willing to share the fusion 360 files? I would love to try and modify to be motorized with the use of a joy stick.
Im not trying to upload my janky timeline to thangs, its embarassing ive only been using fusion for like 3 months. Join the discord and Ill find a way to share it with you on there I suppose. https://discord.gg/ju7F9uuT
I am working on 2.0 as I write this. It will have more range of motion as well as be slightly larger. I am going to make a version where the three bottom rotators have are sleeved within each other and have gears on the bottom, so that someone can set up stepper motors on them
Thank you mate, really appreciate this. Will print within a few days and let you know. Plan on giving this to my friend who I work with at the museum.
You are more than welcome, im just so glad so many people are half as excited about it as I was. As i have said to others, get me any feedback from an actual use-case and I will happily update the model to be even more robust or anything necessary.
Awesome ! I was specifically looking for this "version" of the spherical manipulator. I'll print it at my office in the following days and inform you how it went.
It should be handy for my job, as I require to manipulate microscopic objects on a glass coverslip under the microscope.
Thanks again !