Give Your Camerawork Robotic Cleanliness By Building Lewis Aburrow's 3D-Printed Slider

Maker Lewis Aburrow has designed a 3D-printable robotic camera slider for pro-level cinematic-grade operation, complete with optional battery for field use — powered by two Espressif microcontrollers, from the ESP32 and ESP8266 families.

"I designed and built a 3D printable robotic camera slider with touchscreen control, adjustable track length, and support-free printed parts," Aburrow explains of the project. "It's designed for live video work, product shots and motion timelapses, with programmable speed, acceleration, and movement time. You can build it for tabletop use, tripod mounting, mains power, or with an optional Ryobi battery adapter for portable filming."

The hardware used in the build is a combination of standard aluminum extrusion combined with 3D-printed parts, driven by a pair of low-cost TMC2209 drivers connected to NEMA 17 stepper motors. The theme of low-cost components continues with Aburrow's choice of microcontrollers: a Lolin Wemos D1 Mini, built around Espressif's ESP8266 microcontroller, serves as the heart of the slider, with a user interface driven by a more powerful ESP32 on board a 2.8" "Cheap Yellow Display" all-in-one smart display board.

"I have […] worked hard so that all of the parts in this project can be 3D printed without the need for any supports," Aburrow notes of the design work that went into the slider. "This saves time, cost, and reduces the environmental impact of waste plastic. As the 3D printed parts in this project are mechanical in nature It is recommend to increase the number of perimeters to at least 4 walls and the infill to 20% or higher. I used PETG for my parts in a matte black color."

The finished build allows the camera to slide along the aluminum rails at a speed of the user's choice, while optionally also rotating around its tripod mount. While the device can be driven from wired power, there's also the option of adding a battery for wireless use — with Aburrow choosing the popular Ryobi ONE+ battery family, originally designed for power tools like drills, for ease of use.

A full build guide is available on Instructables, with links to videos walking through the process; the 3D print files are available for sale on Aburrow's Etsy store at $14.03, with an optional PCB for a neater build adding another $13.68.