Ultralight Phone Tripod

prusaprinters

The primary goal in designing this tripod was to make it as lightweight as possible for easy portability on hiking trips. The secondary goal was to keep it simple and quick to print.The tripod consists of the following components:Tripod Head: Featuring fixed holes positioned at 20 degrees from the central axis.Telescopic Legs: Made from 6mm outer diameter and 4mm inner diameter carbon fiber tubing, with 4mm diameter rods that slide smoothly into the inner tubes.Central Pole: Made from 8mm outer diameter and 6mm inner diameter carbon fiber tubing.Plastic Knob Screws: Used to mount and secure the legs to the tripod body. These screws only need to be slightly loosened to remove the legs for transportation.Sliding Ball Socket with Lock: A socket that slides on the central pole, allowing a phone holder (from the PlasticClamp project) to be attached. This socket can slide up and down and be locked in place, and it also allows the ball inside to rotate or be locked in position.Interchangeable Feet: Includes both spiked feet for soft surfaces like soil or sand and flat feet with anti-slip rubber pads for hard surfaces like hardwood floors or asphalt.At the end of the 4mm rods, 16mm balls are attached. These enable the attachment of different feet, enhancing the tripod's adaptability to various surfaces.The tripod weighs only 180 grams, which is less than my iPhone. Edited 15 June 2024:Enhanced Ball-Socket Tripod Head: I have designed a new tripod head model that does not require disassembling the legs for transportation. However, it is slightly more complex to make and requires balls made from TPU filament. I used Polymaker 95 TPU with a 70% infill. This new tripod head will be heavier but offers a greater degree of adjustability because the legs, instead of being fixed, terminate at the top with a ball-and-socket joint.Of course, the dimensions of the tubes used for the tripod legs can be changed. In the picture below, the tripod legs use 8x6mm tubing and a 4mm diameter carbon fiber rod. In this version, the tripod weighs 350 grams. If there is interest in making this model, I can post other sizes for assembling telescopic tubes, but they are not necessary for small cameras.   I've managed to capture interesting ground-level videos and photos by inverting the phone mount's position. Now, I don't need to lie on the ground, and I can control my iPhone from my watch.I also think a selfie looks more natural if you set the timer on your phone and take photos using a tripod, rather than holding your arm out with a selfie stick.Plan for the future:I chose these dimensions so that by rearranging the tripod components, I can assemble an extendable arm approximately 1.3 meters long. At the far end, I will attach a miniature USB camera that can connect via cable to the phone mounted on the 8mm tube (hence the small hook on the cam housing). This way, I'll be able to inspect hard-to-reach places, such as under a car, boat or in tree hollows.Test using USB cameraIt is sturdy enough to support a medium-sized camera. Note: Cam Housing (8-6) and Cam Lock (8-6) is only needed if you intend to extend the Telescopic Leg. Whenever you extend the tripod legs, always ensure the smaller tube remains inside the larger tube by a length approximately equal to the length of the Cam Housing. Materials list:4mm carbon fiber rods on Aliexpress8x6x500mm and 6x4x500mm carbon fiber tubes on AliexpressM3 hardware (10mm, 20mm and 30mm Button Head Hex Socket screws, hex nuts) available on Amazon Anti Slip Silicone Pads on Aliexpress (use on the Flat Feet after removing built in support)Polymaker PETG filament or equivalentOptional: Bubble Level from Amazon or Aliexpress Tripod Assembly Enhanced Ball-Socket Tripod Head Assembly  Phone Mount AssemblyThe two jaws are used to mount a cellphone securely. They feature recesses that allow pieces of EPDM material to be attached. The EPDM pieces compensate for differences in phone shapes, providing a custom fit. The two jaws clamp onto the edges of the phone like a vise. The EPDM pieces help hold the phone in place due to their typical rubber adhesion and conform to the phone's surface, creating a transition between the hard surface of the clamp and the phone.If adjusted properly, the phone clamp only needs to be tightened occasionally. In most cases, you can attach and detach the phone by rotating it around the base and pressing on the rounded piece at the top. Thanks to the flexibility of the EPDM, the phone will snap in and out easily without slipping from the mount.You will need to experiment a bit with the dimensions of the material you use. I found that "Frost King Self-Stick Weatherseal" with dimensions of 5/16in x 1/4in serves this purpose very well.