This instructable was created in fulfillment of the project requirement of the Makecourse at the University of South Florida (www.makecourse.com)

This phone stand is easy to assemble and useful for when you need to watch something on your phone or record yourself. It is especially useful for holding the phone during video calls. I will cover how to design, code and build it so that you can take with you anywhere you want.

Supplies

The required materials are:

1. Loaded 3D printer. 2. Breadboard. 3. IR sensor and remote. 4. Microservo. 5. Computer equipped with CAD software and arduino programming. 6. Arduino board

Step 1: Designing

The beauty of the phone stand is in its simplicity. Following that principle, use the CAD software to create parts that can fit together like a jigsaw puzzle without the need of screws.

For the electronics, we use a simple circuit connecting the IR sensor and the microservo to the arduino.

Step 2: Coding

The coding Integrates the IR sensor and the microservo with the arduino. The way it is set-up, one can see that first we initialize the ports and the variables that we'll be using. Then, we force the system to reset to a neutral position. For the loop section, the arduino waits for input from the sensor and sends a signal to the microservo to define its configuration in up to 3 positions. It is also possible to change the position in increments with a limiter that stops the servo from going too far and losing grip with the phone.

Step 3: Building

Thanks to the simplicity of the design, it's really easy to build it. The pieces should all fit together when assembling the stand and it should still be possible to disassemble with no tools.

Step 4: Improvements

Now that we have a finalized prototype, you can easily expand it according to your own needs. I suggest utilizing a stronger servo or a gear system so that it can lift heavier phones. Another Improvement that can be made is to use a battery pack to power the servo and the arduino so that the box can enclose everything needed and optimize practicality and mobility. If you are really good with electronics, I suggest you implement a system of sensors that can measure where the user's face is and automatically adjust the inclination of the stand, taking away the need of a remote control.