September 10, 2026 -- A qubit is the basic unit of information in a quantum computer, just as a bit is in the computer or phone you use today. But a qubit follows the rules of quantum mechanics, so its behaviour does not match everyday experience. The Qbead puts that behaviour in your hands. It turns the quantum state of a qubit into something you can see, hold, move, and test, helping you develop an intuitive understanding of quantum mechanics.

The Qbead is an open source handheld qubit simulator developed by scientists, students and makers, including researchers at QuTech. A point of light inside the sphere represents the state of a qubit. Electronics inside make it sense and react to the user. Rotate the device and the quantum state changes. Tap it and you trigger a measurement.

For teachers, the Qbead provides a new way to introduce quantum technology in the classroom. It can support explanations, demonstrations and hands-on activities. Students can rotate and tap the device, compare the results and discuss what they observe.

The Qbead can be used at different levels. It can help beginners take their first steps into quantum physics by exploring qubit operations and measurement. More experienced students have plenty of room to go further by exploring entanglement and other multi-qubit experiments. Users can connect it to a computer, create their own experiments and explore how qubits respond to different operations.

Open source is central to the Qbead. The hardware and software are open and available for everyone to use. Teachers can build on the project, develop new lessons and adapt the Qbead to their own needs. Developers and makers can modify the device freely, by adding new functions, creating quantum behaviour they want to share, explore, and explain.