Sub Ubi

Twenty years ago, CNC machining was a black art. CAD-driven solutions were expensive, and program-at-the-machine was just becoming available. My first experiences with this technology were with my father’s 1986 Hitachi Seiki CNC lathe with Fanuc 5T control. It had a punched tape reader, and editing (once a program was loaded into memory) was on a per-line basis using a 9-key numeric keypad.

What looks like a Hitachi Seiki 3NE CNC lathe

Today is a different world. It is possible to draw, using free/open-source software, a 2D part and have it sent out to be laser cut by companies like Ponoko. You can take 3D designs and have them printed, or you can have them produced (on-demand, one-off) by CNC. You can even have them turned into molds through the same process for short-run (10-1000) injection-molding. For that matter, you can build your own 3D printer from open-source designs, or buy a kit that gets you moving in the world of personal fabrication.

I am fascinated by this space, in part, because of my experiences in my father’s shop. It is also as a computer scientist, and in particular someone who is fascinated with languages and robotics, that I see a great deal of potential. As these tools become more affordable (for play and exploration), they become not just tools of manufacture, but of art and creativity. Likewise, I can begin to think about how I would create a mid-sized, affordable robotics platform for use in and out of the classroom—without being entirely constrained by what I can purchase off-the-shelf. That is, I can actually design, and have produced, low-cost bracketing specific to my needs, if necessary.

So many toys, so little time…

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