Open Source Orbital Shaker

thingiverse

Introducing an open-source orbital shaker for mammalian cell and tissue culture, designed to fit in standard incubators without heat emission. Created using an Arduino microcontroller, Pololu stepper motor controller, and a $10 stepper motor, this budget-friendly device offers scalability and ease of use. The NEMA 17 motor ensures precise rotational speed control at low current, while rubber tubing stand-offs reduce vibrations for smooth operation. The cost breakdown reveals a minimum investment of $141.50 for the first shaker, with incremental costs of $61.50 for additional units. Video demonstration of the shakers in action can be found on request. Winning this contest would allow further development, including production of a lasercut case and creation of a customer-friendly kit using sourceable parts from SparkFun and Ponoko. This versatile orbital shaker has numerous potential applications beyond in vitro cell culture in bench-top science.