[recipe19]

It's probably worth noting that a commercial version of this exists (Shaper Origin). It's a bit pricey but is remarkably nice for a variety of tasks that can't be handled by a stationary mill. And because it's hands-on, it's also easier to catch mistakes as you go.

On the flip side, it's just much, much slower than a stationary setup. You can't really push it quickly while retaining enough control to stay in the narrow range it can compensate for. Further, because it's less rigid, high feed rates produce nasty finish.

[itsdesmond]

A big difference between this and that is that this appears to determine relative positioning through multiple mouse-style optical sensors, rather than visually checking relative to patterned tape.

[ragebol]

With a Raspi-cam and some Apriltags or some other fiducial markers, the visual reference could also be possible perhaps.

[numpad0]

How does it solve linearity and repeatability problems of mouse sensors? Or is it just not mouse like but not in literal sense?

[anxman]

Yeah IMO the Compass appears to be a more convenient design

[WillAdams]

Also that there was a failed commercial attempt, which it turns out is getting re-booted:

https://handibot.com/

[x0x0]

The shaper is super cool, but a little pricey understates it.

You can get a very nice router for $300-ish; the Shaper Origin is 3k.

[recipe19]

A CNC router with a work area suitable for typical woodworking projects is definitely not $300 - you're probably thinking about 3018 kits, but with 18 cm of travel, that's really not enough for the usual scale of woodworking projects. Not even enough for a typical cutting board.

A ready-made unit in "woodworking" size will likely set you back $2-$4k.

[NegativeLatency]

The tape is also like $20 a roll, I realize this pales in comparison to even medium tier wood, but was sorta immediately off putting for me since it reminded me of all the stuff with inkjet printers.