NYU Tandon senior project · Spring 2026

Cordify

Autodesk Fusion
3D printing
Mechanical prototyping
Prototype testing

A cable organizer I designed so each end could be adjusted independently.

The showcase prototype used two opposing retractable badge reels to demonstrate the independent movement. I still needed to get the same behavior working reliably with an actual cable.

Cordify concept render with four pastel organizers in a desktop hub — A Fusion render of the hub with four removable organizers.

01 / The problem

I wanted to adjust one end without moving the other.

I didn’t like having to bundle my cables back up after using them. The retractors I looked at either moved both ends together or kept one end at a fixed length. I wanted to use my own cables, leave one end plugged into my computer, and pull out only as much of the other end as I needed.

Interactive concept

Try the cable ends

Drag a connector to try the idea, or use the arrow keys or length buttons. You can also compare it with linked ends and a fixed computer end. Changing the layout resets both lengths.

Exposed cable length

Computer end 0 cm

Device end 0 cm

Pull either end. The other end stays where it is.

This demo uses Fusion renders to show the intended movement. The 0–30 cm range is for illustration.

02 / Form and storage

A hub that keeps four organizers together

I wanted the organizers to fit together on a desk but also be easy to take out and carry.

Green organizer lifted out of the hub, revealing empty bays — Each organizer separates from the hub and reattaches with magnets in both parts. The magnets help keep it in place when you pull a cable forward.

One organizer, two cable ends

Pink organizer with cable extending from both sides — A render of one organizer outside the hub, with a cable end on each side.

03 / Experiments

Getting the mechanism to grip the cable

I took apart existing retractors to understand their mechanisms, then tested pairs of spring-driven rollers to see whether they could grip and move a cable.

Grip: The cable slipped between the printed rollers. I revised a TPU tire so it fit without tearing, but it still didn’t grip the cable well enough.
Alignment: Adding a groove helped guide the cable, but I still needed a way to keep consistent pressure between the rollers.
Reels: I also tried a layout that wound the cable onto reels. The two-reel arrangement needed more slack than I had left room for.

Orange fixture with printed rollers and a loose spring — A roller test with a textured tire to improve grip on the cable.

White printed reel trial — A printed reel for checking how the spring and spool fit together.

Fusion model of reel and housing parts — A Fusion model of the reel and the parts around the spool.

Cardboard form study — An early cardboard model of the organizer and hub.

04 / Showcase

Showing the independent movement

At the showcase, I put a messy cable setup next to the hub and displayed earlier prototypes so visitors could see the changes. Inside the organizer, I mounted two retractable ID and key reels facing opposite directions. This let me pull and retract one side without moving the other. It showed the independent movement I wanted, although I still needed to make it work with a real cable.