A challenge in robotic machining is telling a robot where the material is located relative to the robot’s cutting head. This process is commonly called “zeroing”, as you are telling the robot where the coordinates (x=0, y=0, z=0) are. In high throughput settings, this is achieved using jigs, proximity switches or optical sensors, but these solutions are often not practical or cost effective for prototyping and custom work. Typically, zeroing a tool for one-off work is done with careful measurements and manual entry, which is time consuming.

To make zeroing one-off work easier, I developed a simple yet effective device and corresponding software. The system consists of a charged aluminum locating plate and a software routine that directs the tool to touch off on the locating plate, registering its dimensions and calculating the location of the material. The device has become one of Shopbot’s best selling accessories.