Desktop 3D printers changed prototyping with plastics in a huge way. And we’re guessing the Handibot Smart Power Tool can do the same for home machining projects.
Made by Shop Bot Tools, it’s a portable CNC machine that you control using apps from a smartphone, tablet or PC. No more visiting machine shops to get your tooling and machining work done — you do the work anywhere you can set up with a table and power outlets, whether it be the bedroom, the garage or any other impromptu jobsite.
The Handibot can cut into woods, plastics, aluminum, foam, composites and a whole load of other materials with computing-aided precision and efficiency, allowing you to accurately machine the exact same thing every single time. It’s a three-axis CNC machine that can take 0.25-inch shanks, as well as smaller shanks (with adapters) for small-diameter cutters, at speeds of up to two inches per second for heavy cuts and 3 inches per second for light cuts. Out of the box, it can work with existing CAD and CAM software for experienced users, although the long-term target is to use the device with single-purpose downloadable mobile apps that will perform one machining task each to keep everything simple.
From pictures, the machine looks about the size of a laser printer, so it’s plenty portable. As with power tools, it will likely be noisy, so make sure you account for that when planning where to set up your workshop.
Currently, the Handibot Smart Power Tool is raising funding on Kickstarter. Available pledges to reserve one starts at $2,400.