Assistance system for steering a machine tool

A method for steering a machine tool comprising a manually controlled cutting tool, the method comprising:

• receiving data defining a model of a desired cut to be made on a workpiece by the cutting tool,
• receiving data related to the current position of the cutting tool in, at least, two dimensions,
• generating a display to show:
• the desired cut to be made, a current position of the cutting tool relative to the desired cut,
• an indication of a current error between either a measured position, or direction of travel, of the cutting tool and the desired cut,
• a scale,
• which rotates to navigate an operator back to the desired cut, and markers, which measure with graduations the current error between the cutting tool and the desired cut.

A machine tool comprising a manually controlled cutting tool and an assistance system for steering the machine tool, the assistance system comprising:

• a first data port to receive data defining a model of a desired cut to be made on a workpiece by the cutting tool,
• a second data port to receive data related to a current position of the cutting tool in, at least, two dimensions,
• a processor to generate from the received data a display showing:
• the desired cut to be made, a cutting tool icon at the current position of the cutting tool relative to the desired cut,
• an indication of a current error between either the current position, or direction of travel, of the cutting tool and the desired cut,
• a scale,
• which rotates to navigate an operator back to the desired cut, and markers, which measure with graduations the current error between the cutting tool and the desired cut.