Astrojax

The metal weight lowers the moment of inertia of the center ball so it can rotate rapidly in response to torques applied by the string.

[4] Astrojax was invented by Cornell University physics graduate student Larry Shaw in 1986 while fiddling with hex nuts and dental floss.

[5] It first appeared on the market in 1994 as a polyurethane foam version, when it was sold through The Nature Company, under the name of "Orbit Balls."

In 2003 corporate chains such as Target, Walmart, KB Toys, and Toys-R-Us started to carry the product.

In 2015, Larry Shaw initiated an international arbitration against Active People due to their continuing sales of Astrojax.

[6] In 2017, a US District Court issued an award which included a federal injunction against Active People's sales of Astrojax.

[8] The Astrojax Weave has hand-made, fair trade crocheted balls which are stuffed with environmentally-friendly recycled cork granules.

[11] Astrojax, Weave, Aqua, Maya, Spectra, vortex, string bud, Free-Dimensional Orbiter, Saturn, Blue Diamond, are trademarks of New Toy Classics of San Francisco, CA.

By tugging slightly on the ball in hand, the orbit continues however long the user desires.

Butterfly: Starting with a vertical orbit the top hand is moved left and right quickly, in time with the rotation of the bottom ball.