TAIPEI, Taiwan (Reuters) — A Taiwanese company is aiming to make laser engraving available to anyone by creating a device that comes at a fraction of the costs of conventional laser engraving tools.
Cubiio, the name of a device which resembles a small Bluetooth speaker rather than a tool for shooting lasers, is currently able to load images from a memory card and engrave them onto various objects.
According to its inventor, a future update of the app which controls the device will allow users to send photographs and graphics for engraving to the device directly via smartphone. This function will be ready before Cubiio starts shipping around March next year to crowdfunding backers who pledged an amount of $379 USD or more.
Hung Shao-kang, associate professor at Taiwan’s National Chiao Tung University’s department of mechanical engineering, developed the device over the course of a year from initial idea to near marketable product, together with some of his students.
The laser engraver comprises of a laser source whose beam is reflected off of two electrically controlled mirrors that manipulate the direction and movement of the laser while it is engraving images onto objects. Hung said the device can be so compact due to the use of proprietary algorithms developed by the company to correct distortions instead of a lens to focus the laser beam.
According to Hung, laser engravers that are currently available on the market are prohibitively expensive, placing them out of the budget for general consumers.
To protect users from harm, the company has placed an accelerometer in its product, stopping engraving once Cubiio detects a sudden shock in case of toppling. Customers are also advised to use safety goggles or a protective casing provided by the company to avoid damage to the eyes.
Materials for engraving and also cutting include paper, cardboard, leather and wood. The laser also works on convex and concave objects so long as they are placed within a distance of 150 to 160 millimeters from its source.
