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Research draft

yo-yo

vr.tr.yo-yo · ACT.ACT

Enable an AI agent to recognise a yo-yo, assess its configuration and working state, and decide which play, adjustment or maintenance actions it supports.

Thing Registry Activities and processes

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

Researched by: Codex

Purpose and description

Enable an AI agent to recognise a yo-yo, assess its configuration and working state, and decide which play, adjustment or maintenance actions it supports.

It can be Inspect and classify the body, axle, response and string configuration.; Wind, launch and retrieve the yo-yo using a method appropriate to its observed response.; Assess whether a requested play mode is supported by the current configuration.; Fit or replace a compatible string and check its engagement and length.; Adjust or service supported components, then reassess spin and return behaviour.; Pause play when damage, snagging or unpredictable return makes the next action unsuitable..

Distinguishing features

In its ordinary attached-string configuration, the string winds around a central axle region between rotating body sides; a spinning top does not use this winding-and-return arrangement.

The body can move away from the hand as string unwinds and can be recovered by winding string back around the axle region; a tethered ball merely swinging from a cord does not meet this test.

Its body and string interface support yo-yo handling, including configurations where return requires a deliberate bind; lack of return on a simple tug does not alone exclude it.

An off-string candidate must be assessed for yo-yo-style winding, launch, string interception and recovery; an unattached spinning body is not sufficient evidence, particularly when distinguishing it from a diabolo.

Scope

+ Body geometry, rotational balance and integrity of the assembled yo-yo

+ Axle, bearing or other string-support arrangement and its freedom of movement

+ String configuration, condition and relationship to the axle

+ Return response, supported play modes and configuration-dependent behaviour

+ Current winding, spinning, binding, snagging and readiness states

- The player's general motor skills, training history and physical condition

- Trick choreography, competition rules and scoring systems

- Manufacturing processes and raw-material specifications

- Retail listings, ownership transactions and collectible valuation

- General room layout and bystander management beyond immediate play-clearance requirements

Characteristics

Body profile
Recorded profile, such as narrow, flared or other; unknown permitted Helps assess string access, handling and the kinds of play the body can accommodate.
Assembled dimensions
Body diameter and overall width in mm Supports recognition, hand-fit assessment and clearance planning.
Assembled mass
g Informs handling demands and comparison between configurations.
Axle and string-support mechanism
Fixed axle, bearing-supported, transaxle sleeve, other or unknown Constrains expected spin behaviour, maintenance and compatible string arrangements.
String gap
mm, with measurement location and assembled configuration recorded Helps evaluate string clearance and configuration changes that affect response.
Observed return response
Returns on tug, returns with bind, returns inconsistently, fails to return, untested Determines suitable retrieval actions and helps separate intended behaviour from a fault.
Fitted string relationship
String identity, axle engagement, finger-loop arrangement and any free counterweight; none or unknown permitted Distinguishes configurations that require different release, control and recovery actions.
Effective string length
cm, with endpoints and measurement tension stated Affects reach, floor clearance and suitability for the intended user and play.
Mechanical condition
Observed cracks, looseness, rubbing, wobble, string wear or response-component wear; inspection incomplete permitted Supports a decision to play, adjust, repair or stop using the yo-yo.
Current operating state
Wound, unwound, spinning at string end, returning, detached in play, tangled or unknown Identifies which next actions are physically available.

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 5 bundles · 10 layers · 10 findings · 27 questions.

Identity and play configuration Establishes that the candidate is a yo-yo and identifies how it is configured for play.

A yo-yo can remain recognisable across attached-string, off-string and counterweight configurations, so attachment alone cannot determine identity.

Recognition boundary

Tests the candidate's winding and rotating-body arrangement against neighbouring objects.

Winding and recovery arrangement

Record the physical evidence for yo-yo-style string winding, launch and recovery without requiring every configuration to return on a tug.

  1. What body and axle features allow string to wind between the rotating sides? definition
  2. What observed feature distinguishes this candidate from a spinning top, tethered ball or diabolo? boundary

Configured play mode

Separates the fitted setup from possible uses of the same body.

Attachment and control

Record how the string engages the yo-yo and how its other end is controlled in the intended play mode.

  1. Is the yo-yo retained by the string during intended play, or is release from the string part of the setup? definition
  2. Is the hand end configured with a finger loop, a free counterweight or another arrangement? definition
  3. Which requested play modes are supported by evidence for this configuration? action
Body and rotational assembly Captures the geometry and assembled condition that govern rotation and string access.

Body shape, gap clearance and assembly integrity affect whether the yo-yo spins cleanly and receives the string as intended.

Body geometry

Records dimensions and the profile presented to the string and player's hand.

Profile and string gap

Record diameter, width, mass, side profile and the string gap in the inspected configuration.

  1. What are the assembled diameter, width and mass of this yo-yo? measurement
  2. What is the string gap, and where was it measured? measurement

Assembly integrity

Checks whether the sides and axle form a stable rotating assembly.

Alignment and body damage

Record looseness, cracks, rubbing and observed wobble, distinguishing inspection evidence from suspected causes.

  1. Are either body side or the axle joint loose, cracked or visibly misaligned? measurement
  2. Does wobble persist across repeated controlled launches, or could the launch itself explain it? measurement
  3. Which observed defects require play to stop before further testing? action
Axle, spin and return response Models how the string interfaces with rotation and how return begins.

Failure to return on a tug may be intended behaviour; an agent must distinguish response design from malfunction.

String-support mechanism

Identifies the surfaces and components between the string and rotating body.

Axle interface and spin

Record whether the string runs on a fixed axle, sleeve, bearing or another mechanism and what motion is observed.

  1. Which component supports the string, and which parts rotate relative to one another? definition
  2. Under a recorded launch and string setup, does the yo-yo continue spinning at the string end or immediately rewind? measurement

Return trigger

Connects response components and observed behaviour to an appropriate retrieval action.

Expected and observed response

Record the expected return method, its evidence and whether actual return is predictable.

  1. What documentation or controlled observation establishes whether this setup should return on a tug or require a bind? provenance
  2. Does the expected return action work consistently without unintended catches? measurement
  3. Which retrieval method is appropriate for the response actually observed? action
String fit and condition Captures the fitted string as a working part of the yo-yo configuration.

String length, engagement, twist and wear can change control and response even when the body is unchanged.

String fit

Records string dimensions and installation relative to the axle and intended user.

Length and engagement

Record effective length, known string specification and the arrangement around the axle.

  1. What is the effective string length, measured between which endpoints? measurement
  2. How is the string engaged around the axle, and what evidence supports that arrangement for this mechanism? provenance
  3. Does the fitted length provide suitable floor clearance for the intended launch? boundary

String serviceability

Assesses whether the string can support the next play action predictably.

Wear, twist and knots

Record fraying, damaged loops, unwanted knots and twist behaviour rather than assuming string age determines serviceability.

  1. Where are fraying, thinning, damaged loops or unwanted knots visible? measurement
  2. Does the slack string kink or twist together enough to interfere with the intended action? measurement
  3. Should the string be untangled, have its twist corrected or be replaced before play resumes? action
Operating state and intervention Connects the yo-yo's present state to playable, recoverable and serviceable next states.

The same yo-yo requires different actions when wound, spinning, tangled or mechanically compromised.

Current play state

Records the immediate relationship between body motion and string arrangement.

Motion and winding state

Identify whether the yo-yo is ready to launch, spinning freely, returning, detached as intended or obstructed.

  1. Is the string wound, unwound, engaged in a bind or trapped in an unwanted knot or wrap? measurement
  2. Is the body stationary, spinning at the string end, returning or detached in an intended off-string action? measurement
  3. What controlled action can bring this state to a stopped or ready-to-launch state? action

Adjustment and recheck

Constrains servicing to supported changes and checks their effect on play.

Supported service and validation

Record permitted disassembly, compatible replacement parts and observed behaviour after intervention.

  1. What evidence establishes whether the body can be opened and which axle, bearing or response parts are compatible? provenance
  2. Which supported intervention addresses the observed snagging, rubbing or return problem? action
  3. After the intervention, do assembly integrity, string clearance, spin and expected return pass a controlled recheck? measurement

What the second pass must settle

  • Does the ACT / ACT.ACT registry placement intend the physical yo-yo, the activity of yo-yoing or another concept, and does an existing world model already own that concept?
  • What operational boundary should distinguish off-string yo-yos from small diabolos and other string-launched spinning toys?
  • Which recognised terminology should describe body profiles, axle mechanisms and response types without implying unsupported compatibility?
  • What manufacturer-specific evidence is required before recommending string materials, axle wraps, lubrication, gap adjustment or replacement response parts?
  • Which repeatable inspection and play checks can distinguish launch-induced wobble and user-dependent return failure from mechanical defects?