Tag: Laser

These days, it’s important that we maintain our distance to prevent the spread of the deadly COVID-19 virus. While the best thing you can do is just stay home, sometimes you have to go out to buy groceries or other essentials.

Ever since I saw a CO2 laser cutter in action at a maker space I visited, I always wanted to have one for my own workshop. The ability to cleanly cut and engrave materials with laser precision has all kinds of uses, from cutting out flat-pack models and puzzles, to adding logos and personalization to objects.

Lasers are always fun and this project is no exception. What you’re looking at is a hand-cranked device made from 3D printed parts, designed to project a pattern by quickly moving a laser. It was created by Los Angeles software developer Evan Stanford.

“You’ll shoot your eye out kid!” That’s what someone should have told this kid. Northern Arizona University student and programmer Michael Reeves has built a sophisticated pizza box robot – one that uses a camera and facial recognition software to shoot a laser straight beam into your eye.

My kids loved apples growing up. The catch was that they refused to eat the apple if there was any hint of where the sticker used to be. You couldn’t just slice off that one bit of skin either, it had to be completely peeled away.

Most of us use a tape measure or ruler to measure things. It’s been that way for over a hundred years. Well, now a company called InstruMMents have unveiled a new dimensioning device that can replace the antiquated tape.

Speeding tickets suck. It’s not just the cost of the fine, but the potential for insurance increases, and the inconvenience of time spent either fighting the ticket and/or going to traffic school. But speeding tickets aren’t just something that leadfoots get.

Laser pointers are cool, especially the bright ones that you can use for popping balloons and harassing the cats on the next block over. After a while all that gets a bit boring though and you need something new and cool to do with your laser.

This real-life Iron Man glove shoots a bright blue laser and it looks amazing. This 3-watt laser is 3,000 times more powerful than a typical laser pointer. So basically, if your cat chases this and catches it, Fluffy will be toast.

Drake Anthony aka “styropyro“ is truly a mad scientist. Why you ask? Because he recently created a 200-watt laser bazooka. Just to give you an idea of the power that he is harnessing, a typical laser pointer is .005 watts, and even the most most powerful handheld lasers out there are just 3.5 watts.

Laser enthusiast Styropyro saw Allen Pan’s blowtorch lightsaber and decided to outshine it by making his own energy blade. It’s as scary as you think. Styropyro used a Nichia Gallium (III) Nitride laser to make his lightsaber.

Laser enthusiast Patrick Priebe rides on the Star Wars hype train by making a much smaller version of the Death Star’s superlaser. It may not be able to destroy planets, but it probably could blind a Rebel or two.

Last month we featured the Dobot, a precise robotic arm that can plot, laser engrave and pick and place objects. But if you’re looking for something even more versatile, the Makerarm might be for you. It can also draw, use a laser head and assemble objects, but you can also use it as a 3D printer, a PCB fabricator, a soldering station and even a screwdriver.

Veteran costume maker Thomas DePetrillo aka Extreme Costumes recently showed off his take on Iron Man’s Hulkbuster suit. The costume is 9’6″ tall and 6’6″ wide and has LED lights and eye lasers. Tom said it took him about $3,000 (USD) and a total of 1,600 hours spread out over two years to make the costume.

I know no one who actually likes to shave. I’ve tried everything from old school safety razors to electric razors to disposable razors with blades that cost $15 for three. They all suck and leave my skin burning after the fact.

Would you pay $80 for a laser pointer? It won’t even fit in your pants or help you pretend you’re Iron Man. But the Obi could keep pets off your back, and entertain them when you don’t have the energy or even when you’re not around.