Fidget toys don’t necessarily have to look into the future for inspiration. In fact, they can look back in time for one. If that has left you confused, you should follow the works of a 3D printing master artist, wontonnn of wontonnn-creation (YouTube Channel). The guy has 3D printed a little flip phone fidget and a Walkman fidget toy already, and now, for some Apple fanfare, he is tapping into the design of that most iconic and beloved iPod Classic. I can already see many drooling!
If you ask me, I would, if given a chance, grab an iPod Classic simply for its nostalgia. But there is definitely a large population that believes, for a fact, that the iPod changed the music industry as we knew it before the anodized aluminum beauty took center stage. It not only cemented Apple’s image as a design-first company but also single-handedly championed through the profits of MP3 players, Walkmans et al. While the real thing cannot be revived for its love, the 3D printed iPod Classic fidget toy should satiate the craving.
Designer: Wontonnn
The 3D printed fidget toy is a nod to Apple’s classic digital music player and is rightly dubbed the iFidget Classic. It is a smart idea, which is part of many interesting creations from wontonnn, including a 3D printed mini arcade racing toy we featured a few days back. Like that revived the Road Fighter nostalgia, this one brings you tactile nostalgia of the click wheel on the iPod Classic.
The creator notes, “I loved my iPod Classic when I was younger,” This retro-inspired electronic fidget design is a memory of that era, complete with a clicky scroll wheel and screen where the menu selection is highlighted like on the real thing. With the fidget toy, you can actually have the satisfying feel of the iconic click wheel as the reminiscent rotating dial is fiddled with. It produces tactile clicks with every turn and as the mechanical bar moves up and down on the menu, corresponding to the turns of the rotating dial.
The click wheel on the iPod Classic was a physical controller resting below the screen as in a fidget, but it had touch-sensitive input that was used to navigate the menu, select items in it, and control the music playback, play/pause, and skipping tracks on the wheel. While you won’t get all that on the tactile wheel of the fidget toy, rolling the fingers on the classic should be satisfying for the nostalgic and stress-relieving for the fidgeters. In case you are interested, you can download the model files from Maker World and build one yourself at home.
The post This 3D printed iPod Classic fidget toy with clicky scroll wheel will take you back in time first appeared on Yanko Design.