A manually positionable armature system including a flexible semi-rigid housing including an inner wall, a connecter coupled to the housing to connect the housing to a holding structure, a holder coupled to the housing to hold an instrument in place during a procedure, a compressible media disposed within the flexible semi-rigid housing, an adjustable volume member disposed within the compressible media within the flexible semi-rigid housing, the adjustable volume member adjustable between at least a first volume state where the compressible media is less compressed against the inner wall of the housing and the flexible semi-rigid housing is freely positionable and a second volume state where the compressible media is more compacted against the inner wall of the housing, rigidizing and fixing the flexible semi-rigid housing in a desired orientation.
