Auto-Leveling Mobile Workbench

Our world, as you (hopefully) know, is curved. On a smaller scale, one might describe our world as bumpy, meaning that floors must be carefully designed and built with flatness in mind for maximum usefulness. "Flat" may or may not be the condition of your workspace, and moving a workbench around can therefore throw off any leveling efforts.

In the video below, YouTuber Firth Fabrications presents another option: a mobile auto-leveling workbench known as “Steddy,” as in steady state. The apparatus uses an Arduino Nano and motor drivers to adjust the benchtop's position via four linear actuators, and an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to sense its orientation.

The workbench features casters built into the base. This allows it to be easily moved around a workspace, while the top adjusts itself to a level position. Power is provided by a Ryobi battery pack, meaning that you don’t have to worry about running over a cable when moving it around, though it will need to be recharged from time to time.

In addition to its auto-leveling functionality, the workbench can be manually tilted to different orientations. It can also raise all four linear actuators at once to turn into a standing desk. It’s a clever design, and the raise up feature could be useful in a variety of situations, especially since Steddy can theoretically support up to 1,200 pounds. A demo of the system in action is seen at around the 8:50 mark in the video, including a rather interesting/questionable recreational possibility toward the conclusion.