The amazing Spaghetti Fork
Why did I build a fork for spaghetti
Does humanity need a fork specifically designed to eat spaghetti – no. Has this fork brought joy to people, undoubtedly yes. This project started with a creative prompt during a build challenge: Make a mechanical device that involves food. I settled on a fork that would automatically twist spaghetti.
Prototyping
After identifying some promising concepts on paper, I modeled the design in CAD and started 3D printing prototypes. The spring was removed and magnets were added to simplify the design. The fork was modified to have three tines to allow for concentric rotation.
After posting a video of the build, a peer who has mobility restrictions in their wrist and hand, reached out to see if i could make one for them. We iterated on the original design to improve it over the next few weeks allowing them to twirl spaghetti. While the impact may be small overall, it was very cool to see how a project started as a fun idea was able to being joy to someone.
Video Goes Viral
The following year I made a few more Spaghetti forks and posted a video of it in use. A few days later another instagram account reposted my video and it exploded! Over the next week the video reached 16 million views. People had mixed opinions of the fork. Some thought it represented the laziness of the modern world. Others appreciated how it could help those with dexterity challenges. A third very vocal group was upset about how little sauce was on my pasta.
