Autonomous orbital sander

[mcooley]

With autonomous vehicles hitting the road why not an autonomous orbital sander? A sander that when placed on the work surface simply detects the dimension of the material and then begins the appropriate sanding pattern seems easy enough to do at this point.

 

[Bob D.]

Who (or what) will offer resistance to the reactionary torque of the sanders rotation?

When you operate the sander then you hold back or resist the rotation of the sander.

Without you the sander will just dance around unless they were to come up with some
sort of concentric, counter-rotating discs.

 

[mcooley]

Seems to me they could come up with an appropriate "cradle" of sorts to support the orbital motion. On the other hand I imagine Festool would rethink the orbital motion itself. So maybe the new motion design would differ from a traditional orbital sander allowing it to be self-supportive. 

 

[mcooley]

Besides convenience here is reason enough to do it.
http://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2161000.2161206

 

[Svar]

You can have it now by attaching a sanding pad to iRobot Roomba vacuum.

 

[HarveyWildes]

If it would sand -and- finish...

 

[Svar]

If it would sand -and- finish...

... and cut to size, drill, rout, and assemble.

 

[antss]

Doesn't a widebelt sander pretty much do that already ? [unsure]

 

[mcooley]

Using an orbital sander is the perfect candidate for shop automation. The ergonomics of the machine and the movements one performs are "mechanical" in nature so releasing the body from such constraints makes a lot of sense. Maybe some will disagree but I see no reason why more automation can't be integrated into more portable power tools.

It's almost 2020, just saying.

 

[antss]

Automation could certainly be integrated into these tools. 

But, the cost to do so would make the number of potential sales rather low. 

I'm sure all of you asking about this have a CNC router, yes ?

 

[semenza]

      Prices come own over time if a product works and gains traction and  or morphs. CNC , while still expensive, doesn't cost what it first cost. I know it is in a different form and may currently have more limited capability than a full table unit but witness ...............  Shaper.  It can do quite a bit, is still in the beginning stages , is in the realm of affordability, and is waaay more accessible to get going with than a full table unit.

    Seriously you could be still using a sanding block because someone dumped the first electric ROS because it was too expensive and who would buy it?  Ideas for products and innovation start somewhere.

Seth

   

 

[mcooley]

I'm just suggesting we are pretty far behind when it comes to autonomous function in power tools. When one looks at other industries they seem much farther ahead. CNC being one example. Shaper is another great example and more to my point. But the fact they are alone right now in that space is disappointing.

 

[Svar]

I'm sure all of you asking about this have a CNC router, yes ?

The number of CNC routers in DIY and one-man shops in the US today is easily in six figures. There is at least a dozen CNC companies catering to this segment.
If you can get an autonomous drone, lawn mower or a vacuum cleaner these days for a few hundred $$, why not a sander. Throw it on a large panel or a deck and go have some coffee.

 

[semenza]

I'm sure all of you asking about this have a CNC router, yes ?

The number of CNC routers in DIY and one-man shops in the US today is easily in six figures. There is at least a dozen CNC companies catering to this segment.
If you can get an autonomous drone, lawn mower or a vacuum cleaner these days for a few hundred $$, why not a sander. Throw it on a large panel or a deck and go have some coffee.

Oh, man, an autonomous deck sander would be great!

Seth

 

[bkharman]

I believe this is called outsourcing”. ;^)

I am also sure it would be a lot cheaper than whatever the first run of this futuristic atonomoid would be.

Jane get me off this crazy thing!!

Cheers. Bryan.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Master Carpenter]

Why not just replace the router on a cnc table with a sander?

 

[antss]

Finally, someone picked up on my hint.

You get a cookie Master C.

Would not be difficult to make a cradle/clamp to fit a palm sander.  A rotex yes.  [smile]

 

[pixelated]

I'm not sure how useful an autonomous sander the size of current 5 and 6 inch sanders would be, but I think a sensor to tell you the smoothness of the surface might be nice. It would need to know what grit you're using, but then, for example, you could just sand with that grit until an indicator came on to tell you the surface was as smooth as that grit could make it.

Or possibly, a sensor to tell you if you were overworking an area and it was lower than the rest.

 

[semenza]

Automation could certainly be integrated into these tools. 

But, the cost to do so would make the number of potential sales rather low. 

I'm sure all of you asking about this have a CNC router, yes ?

Finally, someone picked up on my hint.

You get a cookie Master C.

Would not be difficult to make a cradle/clamp to fit a palm sander.  A rotex yes.  [smile]

Personally I thought your hint was supporting the statement that sales would be too low. In effect asking / suggesting that not that many of you own a CNC router table so how could one possibly expect to sell very many auto sanders.

Seth

 

[Svar]

Automation could certainly be integrated into these tools. 
But, the cost to do so would make the number of potential sales rather low. 
I'm sure all of you asking about this have a CNC router, yes ?

Finally, someone picked up on my hint.
You get a cookie Master C.
Would not be difficult to make a cradle/clamp to fit a palm sander.  A rotex yes.  [smile]

Personally I thought your hint was supporting the statement that sales would be too low. In effect asking / suggesting that not that many of you own a CNC router table so how could one possibly expect to sell very many auto sanders.
Seth

I think you assumption was correct, Seth.  [wink]