D.E.A.G.LE is a 3D printed mouse and keyboard emulator that is designed to aid a user in navigating and manipulating CAD environments. The device connects wirelessly over Bluetooth and houses a 3.7v rechargeable lipo-battery for untethered usage. The design is printed using TPU for the knob and PLA for the case that is sanded and polished for a clean and professional finish. The joystick allows for mouse control and the two side buttons can be individually set to hot-keys. The device is run using an ESP32 and has four NeoPixels that run a startup animation when the device is turned on and change color based on the different states.

Below are some final shots of the D.E.A.G.LE from different angles to highlight individual design aspects.

The first step was to model the enclosure, buttons, and knob in Fusion360 so that they could be exported as .stl files for 3D printing. Once the designs were finalized, renders were take from multiple angles to showcase the design choices and styles of the overall model.

Once the .stl files were downloaded, they were sliced in CURA and printed using on Ender S1 with PLA used for the top, base, and buttons and TPU for the final knob. A previous iteration used PLA for the knob however a design choice was made to use transparent TPU for better grip and to let the light from the NeoPixels shine through the part.

Once the pieces were printed, each one was sanded starting at 80 grit, then moving to 150 grit, and finishing with a wet sanding of 320 grit. The TPU knob was the only piece which experienced no post processing to ensure transparency. Once each piece was finished, four heat set inserts were added to the top and base each for anchoring the PCB and attaching the top to the base.

The sanded pieces were then primed with a five light coats of white for the top and base, and black for the buttons. They were then hung using floral wire and painted using spray paint with yellow ochre for the top, white for the base, and black for the buttons. Each was given five light coats. Once dry they were sealed using a clear coat applied five times lightly.

Next the PCB was designed using EasyEDA. Each component had to be placed in a specific orientation to optimize the surface area of the board to ensure no traces crossed and the proper connections were achieved.

Once the board arrived, a coat of solder paste was applied using a screen and the individual electronics were placed in their designated locations. Once ready, the board was placed in a reflow oven for four minutes to melt the solder paste an secure the components. 

Finally, all the individual parts were assembled to create the final product.

Here is the 3D model designed in Fusion 360 for D.E.A.G.LE and the custom PCB design housing the various electronics.  

This is a video of D.E.A.G.LE in a real application of navigating the Fusion 360 Autodesk environment.