An OpenMoco Hardware Prototype

We're making progress with hardware kits that will soon (maybe early Q2 2010?) be available for purchase. The idea is to use laser-cut acrylic panels and mostly off-the-shelf hardware (there will only be a couple of custom circuit boards, and one gear has to be custom-bored) to provide simple kits for the DIY motion control enthusiast to build their own systems without heavy investment in tooling and without having to focus on all of the fundamentals. In such a world, you could create new software, or just get out and shoot without first buying expensive CNC machines, or have to figure out yet one more way to come up with that right gear ratio.

The idea is that these kits would trade a little sweat equity from the end-user for cost, providing a system capable of just about anything you can imagine at a fraction of some of the pre-built systems' cost.

In addition, several individuals are currently working on graphical user interfaces for the PC, Mac, and the Touchshield Slide - providing numerous control methods for any budget or need. We'll keep you posted as new developments happen there.

In the mean-time, here're a couple of videos of the latest prototype in action:

For more info, see the full blog post here: TimeLapse Motion Control Axis