Found Dreaming

I want one of these in my shop, but they probably cost a fortune. It's a Stewart platform machine.

http://mikrolar.com/p2000.html
In the top left corner of that page is an imbedded video which is really cool.



Here's another hexapod machine.




This machine looks just so overbuilt and crazy. It's a PKM, Parallel kinematic machine. Which is slightly related to stewart platforms.

That is the machine that We all want and the training to go with it

What I see in this is the ease of use that Nudge alluded to. Where we are now is flat 2.5D and faux 4th axis have some reasonably priced easy to learn software available. Moving to full 3D and even true 4th axis is just beginning to happen. The true 3D is going to come with 5 axis easy to learn not to expensive software, the machinery to do it is easy enough to design and build. This is the catch 22 of any kind of development where two disparate halves (in this case hardware and software) need the other to drive it, which comes first?

I do love this direction though and the fact that it is coming to us rather than huge corporations as the only ones who can afford it. The whole cnc for the people movement is in my mind going to change a lot of how things are brought to market and you all know I feel that we as metal casters are going to be a big part of it.

Adept Quattro Delta machine.



and here it is playing an Iphone game. Simply amazing!

Man that thing is quick!