Mechanical Engineering Portfolio

Poseable Action Figures with Ball Joints

Entirely 3D printed

Advanced Mechatronics Course, Fall 2018

Goal

Become acquainted with 3D printing ball joints by making a poseable toy

Results

A poseable toy that is easily assembled and disassembled

Inspiration

One of my favorite toys were the Bionicles from Lego. Unlike most action figures, they had a lot of movable joints with a wide range of motion.

Iterations

The most difficult part of the project was determining the right geometry to create a snap-fitting ball joint. I methodically adjusted the thickness of the walls until the ball joint wasn't too loose or too tight.

Light Box Photoshoots

I decided to try to make my own DIY light box so I could take nicer pictures of my projects.

Results

And I may have gone overboard...