DIY Ceiling-Mounted Motorized Slider is Perfect for Content Creation
Erik de Poorter from Concept Crafted Creations on YouTube created a brilliant, motorized ceiling-mounted camera system that may be perfect for content creators.
As seen on DIY Photography, de Poorter got the idea to make a ceiling-mounted camera robot after building a much simpler desk-based camera slider to record his workbench activities. After building that slider, the creator decided to go bigger — much bigger.
Given the efficacy of the small workbench slider, the engineer figured that a ceiling-based solution would allow him to capture footage from his entire workshop. After making and fine-tuning the design in CAD software, de Poorter 3D printed the required parts and got to work.
The entire camera rail system, which de Poorter attached to his ceiling, is seven meters (about 23 feet) long and three meters (just under 10 feet) wide. Further, the system also includes Z-axis control, as the camera can move up and down from the ceiling. The X-axis railing is a garden-variety PVC pipe, while the Y-axis sports a thicker, more rigid one.
De Poorter then added wires, a controller, and motors to automate and motorize the X and Y axes of the system. The Z axis isn’t motorized and instead includes a clamp design. The camera mount also has a gear to change the camera’s tilt.
De Poorter is far from the first person to 3D print and design a DIY motorized camera slider — PetaPixel has previously covered a robotic pan-tilt-zoom slider, an affordable way to add a motor to a basic slider, and a motorized slider built using recycled parts — but he has put a unique spin on the idea by attaching it to his ceiling.
There are many great reasons to have a ceiling-mounted camera rail system, not the least of which is that it enables de Poorter to keep a space-consuming camera system out of his way while he works. A nice bonus is that it allows for dynamic and interesting camera movements, which will pay dividends for the creator as he expands his new YouTube channel.
Anyone who wants to adapt de Poorter’s clever system to their workspace can download the required designs and code for free from Cults 3D. While there’s a lot of time involved and 3D printing isn’t free, the parts list for the system costs only about $50.
Image credits: Featured image courtesy of Erik de Poorter
