YouTuber Ben Makes Everything repurposed a “Creality Ender 3” 3D printer into a versatile robotic camera system that also serves as an efficient photogrammetry rig for 3D scanning, says Tom’s Hardware. Leveraging the printer’s precise stepper motors, open-source Marlin firmware, frame, screen, and control board, Ben upgraded the hardware with minimal modification to suit his vision.
The transformation includes four motorized axes:
- A motor drives a rotating turntable for object presentation.
- Another motor tilts the camera vertically.
- Two motors handle the X– and Z-axis movements, allowing the camera to move forward/backward and up/down relative to the subject.
Control remains through G-code files, generated via a custom Python script, which instructs the rig’s cinematic movements—perfect for smooth video shots—and orchestrates image capture from multiple angles.
For photogrammetry, the rig automates the process of taking numerous photos around an object. The camera systematically captures dense image sets, enabling 3D reconstruction through photogrammetry software—turning ordinary snapshots into detailed 3D models.
This clever DIY underscores the creative reuse of aging hardware. Most of the original printer components remain in place, repurposed rather than discarded. The fusion of hardware and coding through an open firmware platform showcases how makers can build multi-functional tools—here, blending cinematic motion control with practical 3D scanning capability.