And cost could likely be mitigated by NOT using LEGO, which is a buzzword that makes the article, and rather opting in for literally anything else: like Meccano if it has to be a toy.

Stay tuned for my $2000 Cheetos(R) four axis CNC.

"Of course, the microscope doesn’t have to be made out of LEGO — it’s possible to 3D print all the components or mill them. But those approaches take a lot more time, and it would be tricky for people to do it at home. Another advantage of LEGO, Temiz says, is that the bricks are very precise and easily obtainable. And it’s possible to modify the structure by simply replacing a piece with a different one or assemble the microscope in a completely different way to take cross-section images, for example."

Lego is produced to very fine tolerances - so it’s smart, as well as engaging, for this.

If you look at the BOM, the Legos are only $60 of the cost.

Which would be incredibly cheap for a CNC… for a small one, in 80/20 profile I would be higher than this :D