Pocket-sized CNC Robot Debuts at Maker Faire Lisbon

Diatom Studio debuted Piccolo, an open-source design for creating a tiny programmable robot, at the first ever Maker Faire in Lisbon, Portugal last weekend. The inaugural fair had more than 100 projects on display that showcased invention, creativity and resourcefulness.

The hand-held robot is a 3-axis robot that anyone can build for themselves using guides and specifications provided by Diatom, the company states. It is designed to illustrate the possibilities of CNC (computer numerically controlled) driven robots.

“The crowds at Maker Faire Lisbon were fantastic and we received a really intense level of interest in the Piccolo, especially from families and children just getting interested in electronics and robotics,” said Tiago Rorke, designer and researcher at Diatom. “We try to show Piccolo in a way that is friendly and engaging, and the project really exists to show people that they don’t need to use a larger, more complex machine to begin learning about CNC and experimenting with digital fabrication. Maker Faire is a perfect place to get this message across because people can see the great range of projects and processes that use this technology, but are also invited to interact, learn and participate with their own ideas.”

For more information, visit Diatom Studio.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.