This DIY Motorized Crib Automatically Rocks Babies to Sleep

I don't have children myself and part of the reason for that is that I enjoy my sleep. From what I understand, babies don't sleep soundly and that means that their parents don't either. It is safe to assume that this problem has haunted humanity since we became humans in the first place, which is why we invented cradles to rock babies to sleep. But even sitting there nudging a cradle until your baby falls asleep robs you of your own valuable nap time. To automate the process and catch up on his sleep, Peter Turczak built this motorized crib.

To keep costs down, Turczak utilized numerous parts and components meant for 3D printers. He also 3D-printed some of the brackets and mounts. The rocking mechanism and its frame attach to the crib that Turczak already owned, which further reduced the project expenses. The whole contraption sits underneath the crib and uses a motor to slide the crib back and forth. It isn't rocking the crib in the traditional sense, but the sliding sensation might feel similar to a baby and will hopefully help Turczak's baby drift off to sleep. If you're going to attempt a similar project, keep in mind that your baby might hate sliding motions and your mileage may vary.

Turczak built the structure of the sliding mechanism with the same kind of T-slot aluminum extrusion that is normally used for the frames of 3D printers. The bottom half has adjustable leveling feet and smooth hardened steel rods. The top half has linear ball bearings, so it can slide on those rods. A hefty 3A per phase NEMA 23 stepper motor turns a ball screw to actuate the mechanism. An Arduino Nano board controls that stepper motor through a TMC5160 driver module. Turczak is still working on the software, but the plan is straightforward. Upon startup, the motor will accelerate to maximum travel and speed. Over time, it will reduce both until the motion ceases. This replicates the feeling of a cradle's rocking slowly coming to a stop.

Turczak doesn't say if this mechanism helps his baby fall asleep or even if he's given it a try yet. But this isn't a new idea, just a DIY implementation of a well-proven concept.