Last thing to design on our list, the base unit. It serve at as a stand for the rest of the parts, and is the command center for the entire spherical chess board, housing the electronic.

Project Goals for the Base

• To house all the electronics.
• To integrate a system for neatly storing captured chess pieces.
• To ensure structural rigidity for the whole setup.

The Main Enclosure

The core of the base is a custom-designed box. This forms the main cavity for all the internal components.

It has holes for connecting the cart’s cables, holes for the Nextion display, a support for the main board, supports at each of the four corners of the base, and a central support to hold the wooden plate and the hole globe and rail that will be placed on top.

The Captured Pieces Zone

This takes the form of a large, gear-like structure. it allows for discrete slots for each piece.

It's directly driven by a stepper motor. The stepper will rotate the gear to present an empty slot for the next captured piece. The connection to the stepper shaft is via a custom press-fit adapter.

External Interfaces & Connectivity

• Chariot Connector Port:

There's a dedicated cutout on the base for the main cart connector. This will be a 16 pins connector where we will use only 14 that carries all signals and power to the cart that moves the pieces on the sphere.

This allows the chariot assembly to be easily disconnected for transport or maintenance.

• Nextion Display Port & Housing:

The Nextion display  will be housed in its own small enclosure, which then slots into a dedicated opening on the base.

THE FINAL ASSEMBLY