Pocket-sized CNC robot can sketch

1st October 2014

Diatom Studio

Nat Bowers

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At the first ever Maker Faire in Lisbon, Portugal, Diatom Studio demonstrated Piccolo, an open-source design for creating a tiny programmable robot. The 3-axis, hand-held robot can be built by anyone using specs and guides available online. Designed to as a fun way to experiment with the possibilities of CNC (Computer Numeric Control)-driven robots, the robot can create small sketches or 3D fabrications (depending on tool head attachment).

Billed as the 'Greatest Show (and Tell) on Earth', the inaugral Maker Faire was a family-friendly showcase of invention, creativity and resourcefulness with more than 100 projects on show to the 9,000+ visitors. The Faire welcomes any inventor with a creative project that tackles challenges in fields such as crafts, manufacturing, entertainment or pure technology.

Other projects on show included the BITalino, a low-cost toolkit enabling applications using body signals to control devices, and the RiftCycles, replicas of Tron’s famous bikes controlled by the Oculus Rift VR headset.

Tiago Rorke, Designer, Researcher and one of Piccolo’s creators, commented: “The crowds at Maker Faire Lisbon were fantastic and we received a really intense level of interest in the Piccolo, especially from families and children just getting interested in electronics and robotics. We try to show Piccolo in a way that is friendly and engaging, and the project really exists to show people that they don't need to use a larger, more complex machine to begin learning about CNC and experimenting with digital fabrication. Maker Faire is a perfect place to get this message across because people can see the great range of projects and processes that use this technology, but are also invited to interact, learn and participate with their own ideas.”