The open source Compass Handheld CNC router does away with the typical overhead gantry design and instead lets the cutting tool roam free over a stationary workpiece.
It tracks its movement using a Teensy 4.1 microcontroller and four PMW3360 optical flow sensors, looking somewhat like a combat robot.
The tool has a flight yoke-like pair of handles and a display showing the router’s current position versus where it should be, allowing the user to drive the router to cut or carve the desired design.
While it doesn’t have the same punch as traditional machines, the Compass is fine for routing engravings and other delicate work, with a 3D-printed body that can connect to a dust collection system.
It is an open source version of the Shaper Origin router, which uses optical tracking and fiducial markers to maintain position and is still on the market.
