3D Printed Orrery Runs On A Single Motor
An enthusiast named [illusionmanager] has created a 3D printed orrery that accurately models the solar system using a single motor. The device uses an ESP32 to run an astronomical simulation and control a stepper motor via a TMC2209 driver. A clever interlocking ring mechanism allows all planetary positions to be adjusted with one motor, making it both functional and visually engaging.
- ▪The orrery includes all planets, the Sun, and the Moon, accurately representing their relative motions.
- ▪An ESP32 microcontroller calculates celestial positions and drives a stepper motor for movement.
- ▪The system uses a reed switch and magnet to determine the initial zero position before operation.
- ▪A unique interlocking ring mechanism enables multi-planet control with a single motor.
- ▪The Moon's motion is handled by a separate geared mechanism linked to the main rotation.
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3D Printed Orrery Runs On A Single Motor No comments by: Zoe Skyforest May 1, 2026 Title: Copy Short Link: Copy The solar system is kind of hard to observe in motion all at once. Sometimes, it’s nice to have a little model to look at, so you can see the relative motions of celestial bodies play out in front of you. Such a device is called an orrery, and [illusionmanager] has built rather a nice example of their own. The build represents all the planets in the solar system, plus the sun and our very own Moon. An ESP32 lives at the heart of the build, running an astronomical simulation to calculate the proper positions of all the celestial objects.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Hackaday.
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