These are tiny, relatively low-cost boards that use Smoothieware, an Open Source, 32-bit CNC control system that is extremely extensible and very powerful. We saw at the Faire last year when he was demoing his Smoothie-derived boards for 3D printers and CNC machines. This is the cheapest way to start lasing in your workshop. Of note is his K40 upgrade that turns the eBay special laser cutter into a 32-bit professional machine. This year at Maker Faire, of Cohesion3D brought out his Smoothie-derived control boards for CNC machines and laser cutters.
Fix that, though, and you have something really spectacular.
There is a downside to the K40, though: the control electronics and software are notoriously terrible. I speak, of course, of the ubiquitous K40 laser, a machine you can get off of eBay or AliExpress for the price of a generic, off-brand 3D printer. Of course, those in the know have already been using laser cutters for years, and there are options for desktop CO2 laser cutters that cost less than a kilobuck.
It looks like lasers are the next 3D printer. Glowforge was out in full force, but the most interesting aspect of the Glowforge - a compact filter system that sits right underneath the laser - was not to be found. Dremel announced a 40W laser cutter, but it won’t be available for purchase until this time next year, there is no price yet, and therefore doesn’t deserve further mention. This year at Maker Faire, laser cutters were all the rage.
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