Attachment loop, captive guide rails, end stops and an integrated spring latch.
PROTOTYPE 03 / MECHANISM REDESIGN
Slide in.
Click. Carry.
A positive latch holds your WHAT in place. An intentional press releases it. The same collectible-first idea, with a new way to swap.
GUIDED SLIDEPOSITIVE LATCHPRESS TO RELEASE
THE INTERACTION
Each WHAT keeps its own NFC tag.
Guide.
Stop.
Click.
Release.
Each WHAT keeps its own NFC tag.
01 / WHERE WE ARE
DESIGN READY / PHYSICAL VALIDATION NEXT
Built from the first real-world fit test.
Prototype 02 revealed a loose friction fit. Prototype 03 separates alignment from retention: rails guide the WHAT, a hard stop sets its position, and a spring latch holds it. CAD geometry checks are complete. Supplier review and printed-part testing come next.
LEARNEDPhysical Prototype 02 showed why friction alone was not enough
PREPAREDFour CAD parts checked: dock, blank WHAT, SIGNAL ? and SOCIAL BATTERY 03%
NEXTReview with the supplier, then test click feel, release force and durability
02 / PROTOTYPE 03 · CAD VIEWS
THE NEW PHYSICAL INTERFACE
Guided by rails.
Held by a latch.
The WHAT keeps its familiar 40 × 48 mm face. A spring tab in the dock meets a matching recess on the WHAT. Press the exposed lower pad to release it.
Tap the image to inspect the full-size CAD view. Colours are illustrative.
03 / HOW THE SWAP WORKS
Guide → Stop →
Click → Release.
The rails provide alignment with forgiving clearance. The latch provides retention. To remove a WHAT, press the release pad and slide it out while holding the pad down.
- 01
Guide
Slide the WHAT into the rails from the loop end of the dock.
- 02
Stop
The hard end stop establishes the seated position.
- 03
Click
The spring hook is designed to snap into the WHAT’s recess as it reaches the stop.
- 04
Release
Press the lower release pad toward the back of the dock. Hold, then slide the WHAT up and out.
The first prints will confirm the tactile click and how the release feels in hand.
04 / SAME COLLECTIBLE ARCHITECTURE
ONE DOCK / MANY DIGITAL IDENTITIES
The tag travels
with the collectible.
Each WHAT contains its own NFC tag. The NFC stays with the WHAT when swapped.
The NFC recess remains separate from the latch geometry. Change your WHAT and its expression and digital identity move together. Bring a compatible phone close to explore its digital side.
Expressive face, matching latch recess and its own NFC tag secured inside.
05 / A CLOSER LOOK
Clearance to slide.
A shoulder to hold.
Prototype 03 is prepared for an SLS PA12 trial. The mechanism is designed with future molding in mind; tooling details and physical performance still need validation.
0.30 mm per side
Nominal running clearance makes room for manufacturing variation. Captive lips resist lifting out.
A positive stop
A spring hook engages a dedicated rear recess, so retention does not rely on rail friction.
Press, then slide
An exposed pad releases the hook. A support beneath it limits overtravel.
40 × 48 mm WHAT
The dock extends modestly at the lower edge to make room for the release pad.
Its own pocket
The existing NFC recess stays with each WHAT, separate from its latch recess.
Ready for review
All four CAD parts passed solid and watertight manifold checks. Click feel and cycle life need printed-part testing.
Prototype 03 is a matched dock-and-WHAT interface. It is not mechanically compatible with Prototype 02 parts.
INSIDE THE MECHANISM
The release,
in section.
These sections come from the CAD model. Bent-beam positions illustrate estimated movement; they are not a stress simulation or a measured test result.
Tap to inspect the full-size operation diagram.
06 / THE PROTOTYPE THAT TAUGHT US
PROTOTYPE 02 / ARCHIVE · RevB BOARD
From a loose fit
to a positive latch.
The physical Prototype 02 parts arrived, and the WHAT sat too loosely in the friction-fit rails. That finding led to Prototype 03’s separate latch. We’ve kept the earlier RevB assembly board here as a record of the design’s development; it is not the current mechanism.
SWIPE THE TECHNICAL BOARD TO EXPLORE →
THE NEXT STEP / STAY CURIOUS
A new way to swap.
Follow Prototype 03 from CAD to the next physical test.