With side-hustles being all the rage these days, the new Shaper Origin makes it easier than ever to start building and selling cool gadgets in your free time. While you might not be able to build yourself a homemade Falcon 9 rocket with the company’s handheld CNC machine, you just might be able to build yourself a successful shop on Etsy.
CNC machining is not a new concept, but it has typically been relegated to the hands of skilled professionals with enough money to bankroll the expensive devices. The complexities of computer vision make Shaper’s machine considerably easier to use than its rivals. There is no reason to sweat the details on the Origin because being almost-sorta-kinda accurate is actually more than enough to produce professional quality products.
A camera on the front of the device detects a proprietary tape placed at various distance intervals. With a frame of reference, software can produce an augmented reality representation of a desired cut that is visible through an onboard screen. Cutting with the Origin is about as easy as a game of connect the dots. All you have to do is drag the lightweight handheld machine along the traced route and the blade will actually adjust to make up for any inaccuracies or clipped corners.
Origin can operate in any workspace with a wide-variety of materials including wood, carbon fiber, and vinyl. Just drag and drop designs to the cloud and the device will be ready to start making in a matter of minutes. For a limited time, builders, tinkerers, and creatives will be able to nap the futuristic device for just under $1500. Eventually the price will jump to $2099.