Filming Stand

The Problem

The Original Problem:

Students at school often have to use film as a way to show their work, but the ability to film by oneself is a problem. The student is unable to use film as a way to show their learning because there is no way for the iPad (every student receives one) to stand by itself.

The Redefined Problem:

I need to create a product that can allow for an iPad to stand by itself and film a student.

Constraints and Specifications

Constraints:

The stand can be made using materials found in school, or that I find myself outside of school, or printed on the 3D printers
The creating prototype part of the project should be completed before April 11th (about 3 class blocks)

Specifications:

The stand should have the ability to film by itself, preferably in as close to vertical as possible
If possible, the stand should also be able to hold a phone
The stand should fit different sizes and styles of iPad and phone cases

Brainstorming/Pros & Cons

Of Possible Solutions

***Note I added these two step in the problem-solving process together because when actually creating the product, this is how I documented my thinking process.

This is the solution I will try and create

Brainstorming/Pros&Cons

Creating a Prototype

Because of the major time constraint of this design challenge, I wanted to be very careful with how I planned and used my class time.

At first, I thought that measuring and cutting wood would be the best option. However, as I looked over my designs I thought that maybe using the 3D printers would be better. Click through the picture below to see some screenshots of the designs I created of my final prototype, as well as my final sketches to create my product. I only printed my very final prototype design because of the limited time available, because of this I talked to my teacher and improved on my design multiple times before actually printing anything.

Rough Dimensions

These are the rough dimensions I gathered from a school iPad, sample cases, and iPhones near me. This data helped me to adjust my prototype to fit multiple different sizes of devices students may have.

Rough Design

This is first rough design of my product. It gives the general idea of how the product will work. At this point I thought that wood would be the best material to work with.

Prototype #1

This is the first prototype with specific dimensions for my product. At this point, I am still planning on using wood. However, as I was looking at the design I thought that I could try and make it more versatile for different filming needs, so before measuring any wood I wanted to try drawing out another prototype.

Prototype #2

Protype 2 is my final drawing prototype. I changed the design to only having two large slots for a device, but having multiple small slots to change the angle at which the student can film. I also including the additional pieces. At this point, I decided to switch to using a 3D printer to create my prototype because I felt as if it could be more successful and be easier to recreate if needed.

3D Printer Design #1

Though this design is studry, it is also very large and ended up being too large for our printer. Because of this I cut off excess material from the all four sides.

3D Printer Design #2

The prototype was still quite long, so I decided to take out some of the extra slots in the middle to shorten the overall length. I also took a little bit more material off of the sides to make it more compact.

3D Printer Design #3

From my teacher's suggestion, I cut the design in half and added puzzle pieces to it. Not only did this make it easier on the printer, but if printed correctly two people could use the prototype at the same time in different locations (it would not be needed for both sides to be put together to use for a vertical angle).

3D Printer Design #4

This is the second side to my final prototype design.

3D Printer Design Additional Pieces

These are the additional pieces for the design. I did not have to change the dimensions or design based on the 3D printer's needs.

The Final Product

Final Product

These pictures are evidence of the final product working. I tested it with a phone, and a school iPad. Please note, that the additional pieces had not yet printed when these pictures were taken. So instead of using the plastic and super glue or rubber on top to keep the iPad steady, I used a piece of cardboard to hold it in place. The end result still worked with both devices and was able to be used to keep them filming at a vertical angle.

Ways To Improve

Though my first prototype of this design was successful in trial, if I was able to create a second prototype there are a few things that I would improve upon. For example, both sides of the stand have different size slots for the devices. I would make the smaller slot a little bit bigger because it was too small for the phone that I used as a trial. It may still work for a phone that is slimmer and does not have a case, however, I think that it would be more successful in general for that slot to be bigger. The second iteration that I would make would be to add rubber to the bottom of the additional pieces as well as the top. This is because the additional pieces don't fit perfectly into the slots, so to make the device more stable it should have a grip on both the top and bottom.

Overall, given the time constraints and the specifications for the design, I believe that my first prototype was a success. Let's see what we are able to create next!

STEAM Portfolio 2019