The ZeGo deltabot on Indiegogo is less of a 3D printer and more of a transformer. With interchangeable toolheads, the delta-style robot goes from 3D printer to 2D plotter to pick-and-place machine easily and affordably.
ZeGo can be outfitted with a number of different toolheads to expand its capabilities (superpowers). Aside from a standard hotend for extruding filament for FDM/FFF 3D printing, the bot’s creators have designed a plotter, wood burner, CNC mill and pick-and-place attachment. The plotter, a fancy name for a pen, will allow users to draw digital drawings in real space, but the wood burner lets them make those drawings more permanent by burning them into various materials. The CNC/PCB mill is for making engravings, while the entry level pick-and-place attachment can either act as a fourth axis for holding a part, while it is being engraved, or to move objects from one place to another.
All combined, ZeGo makes for a many-in-one, in-house prototyping machine. Not only can you 3D print an object, but you can engrave it, burn it, and draw on it as well. The CNC mill, in conjunction with the fourth axis pick-and-place attachment, gives users the ability to design electronics, as well. Other hybrid machines, such as the Microfactory and FABtotum, have been launched in the past, offering the ability to 3D print, scan and mill. The ZeGo, however, has the greatest range of abilities that I have seen so far. If I had the skill level to use it to its fullest potential, I would definitely consider getting one.
If you already possess the skill level, watch their campaign video below to learn more about ZeGo or to hear the word “orifice”:
The team is currently seeking crowd funding on Indiegogo and, so far has got off to a modest start. At time of writing, they have reached $5641 of their $50,000 goal. Whether this says more about their choice of crowd funding site or the “crowd’s” reaction to the machine itself is hard to tell at this point.
Source: Indiegogo
