From Zero Gravity:
Janus
With every project we embark, new concepts and ideas come to us to explore different designs, playability and versatility for future creations. Working on the KnuckleYo kindled a spark of imagination and inspiration leading us to the creation of the Janus: a slim line yo-yo that uses two removable coins to play.
The starting point of the design was around the dimensions of the coin itself. Coins of this type can be used as worry or rolling coins and come in different dimensions that go from 30 to 45 mm diameter, 3 to 7 mm thickness and 10 to 40 gr. We started to explore all the multiple designs around those dimensions and see what would fit best.
The diameter
The 'standard' size of a manipulation coin is around 35 mm diameter. Having a diameter in that range was not the best fit for what we were looking for. Although the main idea of this project was to design a yoyo that could be easily transformed into a coin, we always wanted the Janus to be a capable yoyo to play with. Our goal was to find the best size of diameter that allowed the Janus to be playable as a coin as well as a throw. We found the sweet spot to be 45.5 mm.
The thickness
The next challenge we faced was to determine the coin's thickness which is fully correlated to the performance, weight and width of the throw. A thin yoyo would compromise certain performance capabilities and functionality; whereas a thick coin would not be ideal to perform manipulations. With those two challenges to consider, we determined that the thickness was pretty much limited to be in the 7-8 mm range. We used the thickness of El MiJo yoyo as a point of reference which is 12 mm, and our objective was to go no less than 60% of that dimension.
Due to the design of the Janus, the weight is proportionally correlated with the thickness and the size of the diameter. Although we had a range of 30 gr. to play with, the diameter that we established along with the width that we were aiming, the weight became another factor that had to be considered. With all those elements on the table, we ended up with a thickness of 7.8 mm which gave us a weight of 23.7 gr. when in coin mode.
The incorporation of Side Effects
In order for this throw to be transformed into a coin, we needed a system that was suitable and functional for the Janus. We explored many alternatives to adapt this idea. We went back a fourth with different approaches, until we saw the potential that the Side Effects machined by One Drop could bring to the Janus. One Drop's Side Effects allowed the Janus for a complete removal of its axle and bearing seats and feel it more "coin like" when in coin mode. This also opened the possibility to use the Janus as a wearable coin.
The final design
Once all of the above elements were incorporated, we had two elements left to accomplish: performance and design. The most suitable material for this concept was aluminum 6061. We needed certain wall thickness for the shape and design we envisioned. We pushed the walls of the cup in a way that could work for coin manipulation and as a worry coin, and at the same time to allow a better weight distribution when played as a yoyo.
We do not consider the Janus to be a micro-yoyo by any means. The Janus is a small, fully functional pocket throw that can be played as a responsive and unresponsive yoyo that when disassembled yet it can also be used as a coin for coin manipulation tricks as well.
The name
In ancient Roman religion and myth, Janus is the god of beginnings, gates, transitions, time, duality, doorways, passages, frames, and endings. Janus is typically depicted as having two faces and was commonly embossed onto Roman coins.
The name reflects the dual nature of our creation and the various passageways it may lead you while playing. The throw's mismatched sides of different colors and patterns further reflect the characteristic of Janus: the double-faced pocket throw that actually fits in your pocket.
We would like to thank to our team members Jack Morris, Iñaki Diez and Jason Williams for all their input during the development of this project.
A special thanks and recognition to Chris Francz for his amazing artwork in the Janus that was used in both the logo and the engraving of this throw.
Specs:
Weight: 52g/1.83oz
Width: 22.2mm/0.87in
Diameter: 45.5mm/1.79in
Gap: 2.3 mm/0.09in
Bearing: Slim C size ball bearing
Material: Aluminum 6061