Electrically Adjustable Laptop Stand And Cooler (Work in Progress)

Fig: Planned Final Product 3D Model

Objective:

Create a laptop stand to place/hold up a laptop beside the main monitor for a productive desk set up.

Design Requirements:

The height adjustment range for the laptop stand should be at least 75mm for ergonomic viewing at different heights.
User should be able to adjust the stand to any desired height within the height adjustment range. (Usual laptop stands found in the market only allow adjustments to set heights within a range.)
There should be a method to cool the laptop to maintain proper temperatures during heavy graphics usage.

(As this is a personal project, most of the design requirements were mainly derived from my personal needs, and after talking to some peers about what they might like to have in a laptop stand)

Two Major Components:

Fig: Lifting Mechanism (Design allows 79mm adjustment range, thus meeting the criteria)

Fig: Cooling Pad

How Does It Lift?

Fig: Lead Screw Lifting Mechanism

The linear actuator used here is a lead screw mechanism.
This converts rotational motion of the motor into linear motion of the arm.
When the lead screw is turned, the nut (attached to the arm) moves up or down depending on the direction in which the lead screw is turned.
The guide rails, as can be understood from the name, guide the lifting arm upward or downward. Without them, the arm would just rotate on its own without any translational motion.
Shaft coupler connects motor shaft to lead screw.
Designed using Fusion 360.

Prototyping!

Fig: 3D Printed Arm

Fig: Prototype Set Up to Test Lifting Mechanism + Electronics

For the test set up, a scrap piece of acrylic was attached to the top of the arm to place the laptop on instead of the cooling pad. (Work on cooling pad still in progress!!)
Guide rails were cut in smaller pieces than the actual ones to save material and attached to scrap pieces of wood (cut to shape on a scroll saw) using hot glue.
Essentially, this is a quick prototype set up to test the various components and mechanism.

Software and Electronics:

Fig: Arduino Code

Fig: Electronics Set Up

Using an Arduino Mega but will be shifting to an Arduino Micro due to its small size. Wrote the above code which does the following:

Joystick sends X coordinate values ranging from 0 to 1023 to the Arduino.
Arduino does computation to turn the X value into a speed value from 0 to 255 to send to the motor driver. Depending on the value, the Arduino determines the direction of rotation of the motor.
Arduino sends the speed value and direction of motor rotation to the L293D motor driver.
L293D motor driver combines all this information and runs the motor as required.

First Successful Test!

First video of testing the Lifting Mechanism and Arduino Code. Although this project is still in the prototype/testing phase, I wanted to share it here to show my progress.

Why an Arduino + Joystick?

User can adjust the hight faster or slower based on how much he pushes the joystick. Allows for quick as well as finer adjustment to obtain perfect ergonomic viewing height.
Future additions such as temperature sensor and output lcd display (showing temperature) for the cooling pad, different preset heights stored in memory of the laptop stand for different users, being able to set times for how long the fans should run etc. features can be added with the Arduino already present.

Implementing DFA Principles:

Initial Design with L clamps

VS.

New Design with a Single bracket

Minimizing number of parts from 2 L- brackets to a single 3D Printed bracket holding the motor + vertical guides.
Increased speed and ease of assembly due to having a single bracket and fewer fasteners. Reduced number of assembly operations.
Reducing assembly error by having slots which ensure correct alignment of vertical guides, thereby reducing friction during movement.

3D Printed (PLA) Bracket