I know it looks silly but I started to prototype using some cardboard. This way I can get look and feel without hours of 3D printing.
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/4266961696102312259.jpg)
And I already got some interesting insights. For example the spaces between the pillars can be greatly reduced without touching the moving stage base/enclosure.
It's only a POC made from few layers of dense cardboard but it's working and it amazing. It does moves a tiny actuator (a toothpick which is already broken) that can be seen only by microscope, since movement is so tiny.
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/6628751696627931953.jpg)
And now same thing 3D printed. Simple and does it's purpose. Now let's put four of this under the base.
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/8421821696627970947.jpg)
Now I need four of them to hold 'the table' on which we will place nano scale needle.
TA-DA!! The nano probe holder
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/5402511697203511852.jpg)
And now on pezo-mechanical bed
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/7240071697203571786.jpg)
Actually this stage was done poorly as the glue was not silver glue. And hot gun glue that holds the pizo-electric devices is distributed not equally. I guess I will have to redo this stage later on as part of improvements.
Some piece of math was missing. I mean if I move the piezoelectric up on ine side and down on the other side, how much nano probe will move?
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/6904291697336191681.jpg)
Now let's connect all together the RaspberryPi based microscope to see probe's height, fine movement mechanics and electronics.
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/181421698169687057.jpg)
(On the screen you can see magnified toothpick, tangsteen probe will come later)
Turn on the power and nothing 😞 it doesn't move...
More debugging with scope and reprogramming firmware to make move faster.
![](https://cdn.hackaday.io/images/916251698208582206.jpg)
Finally I can see my toothpick moving up and down (run it with 1080p settings otherwise it's blurry) skip to 6th second.
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