Lasers are awesome, and as the technology continues to advance, they keep getting cheaper! If you’ve ever wanted your own laser light show in your man cave, it’s never been easier.
In the 70’s [rgrokett] was a planetarium technician, responsible for building and operating laser shows. Back then, the laser modules were huge and expensive. After being reminded of days gone past, thanks to an article about laser light show operators, he decided to try his own hand at building a Low-cost Laser Lumia Lightshow.
And it couldn’t be easier.
You’ll need some lasers, preferably red, blue, and green, a clear CD or DVD, and a low RPM DC motor. If you want to get fancy, you can throw some circuitry in to control the colors individually, or have them trigger on sound effects.
The cool effect you see in the animated gif above is thanks to the clear CD. Take some optically clear glue and apply it liberally to the CD surface. Let it dry, and you’ll be left with a bumpy surface that will cause some awesome refraction of laser light. Slap it on the geared motor, and you’re done!
And if you want to get really fancy — why not build your own galvanometers for the laser show?
Filed under: laser hacks
No comments:
Post a Comment