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029·2026

Monitor slider

A small motorized track for the stage

Physical spaceelectronicsfabricationstage

2026

A two-metre motorized track to carry a monitor across the stage at the Performing Garage, kept small: aluminium rail on the venue’s pipe uprights, a belt-driven sled, and printed fittings that go together with hand tools. An ESP32 and a TMC2209 driver move a NEMA 17 stepper, with a switch at each end.

The supports took several rounds: a hand sketch of an arch, Rhino revisions from a bolted clamp to a smaller slip-on sleeve, and short printed rings to find the fit on the pipe.

In progress. So far the empty holder has moved along the assembled track, driven from a browser over USB; tests with the monitor on, and TouchDesigner and Wi-Fi control, are still to come.

Moving: the empty monitor holder travelling along the assembled two-metre track; no monitor on it yetA render of the Rhino model: the two-metre rail on three pipe supports, a monitor on the sledA hand sketch of an arch growing out of a vertical pipe into the railA render of the first printed arch, with projecting clamp boltsA render of the next arch: the lower bolts gone, the flare continuousA render of the chosen support: a smaller slip-on sleeve with a slight moulding at the railThe first printed support held beside the venue’s metal pipe fittingThe split support off the pipe: its two halves would not close on itAn early printed arch on the venue pipeMoving: an early sleeve rocked on the pipe, still loose — the fit needed another roundA render of the sled: stock wheels, a printed plate and belt clampsA render of the motor end of the beltA render of the return end, with the belt’s idlerA render of the fixed monitor holder on the sledThe ESP32 controller board (Adafruit HUZZAH32), from the backThe stepper driver board (TMC2209)The NEMA 17 stepper motor’s labelA roller-lever switch, one of the two at the track’s ends