AutoSaw is currently limited to common household items like chairs, desks and tables. However, the hope is that it'll eventually be useful for porches and other larger-scale projects. CSAIL also wants to incorporate tasks beyond cutting, such as drilling and gluing.

The aim is to democratize custom furniture building. Yes, you could use CNC machines, but they're typically gargantuan, fixed devices that limit the size and shape of what you can cut. And that's assuming you have access to them in the first place. This approach provides much more flexibility, and might even let you cut parts at home if the cost of the robots can be kept in check. If a pre-built table wouldn't quite fit in your kitchen, you could design one yourself after a quick trip to the lumber store.