Colton Baldridge, an electrical engineer known for his engineering enthusiasm, has devised a cost-effective open-source alternative to the 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse, renowned for its six degrees of freedom (6DOF) functionality in computer-aided design. Frustrated by the high price tags attached to commercial 3D mice, typically ranging from $150 to $400, and the limited market options, Baldridge embarked on a mission to create an affordable and open-source 6DOF mouse, aptly named the "OS3M" (short for "Awesome"). The project commenced in mid-2022, with Baldridge's initial focus on the mechanical intricacies of the mouse, utilizing 3D printing extensively for custom flexures and knobs. A deep dive into finite element analysis (FEA) extended this phase. Subsequently, he crafted a custom PCB, marking the achievement of a fully functional prototype nearly a year into the project.
Baldridge acknowledges that his project remains a work in progress, highlighting the need for firmware improvements, particularly in interrupt support, and envisioning a graphical user interface (GUI) with customizable settings, compatibility with diverse software programs, and configurable button layouts. The hardware design also offers potential for enhancement, particularly concerning additional expansion functionality. For those intrigued by this evolving project, comprehensive details can be found on his GitHub repo.
