[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yVtJia5UWY]
Finally we see a hack that is focuses on safety when it comes to high-power laser hacks. A safety switch has been added to the butt of the flashlight body which houses the laser diode. When the safety is flipped on an LED blinks to prompt the user for a security code. If you enter the correct code on a momentary push switch, electrical access to the laser is enabled. There are also a couple of nice features such as continuous on and auto shutoff.
This would be hard to implement if you’re working on a watertight package but we like the fact that an unsuspecting house guest won’t go blind if searching for a flashlight during a storm. One last thing, the code entry system is PIC based which reminds us of [Alan Parekh’s] one-button system.
now that’s a nice hack.
That’s slick!
Something is wrong here…
Store-bought plug and play module? No
Parts used for their intended purpose? No
Software modification to off-the-shelf product? No
What’s a hack doing on Hack a Day?
…
I like this, it’s very well-thought out!
I’m amazed at how much people complain about the website. It’s really too bad. It’s a good site. Maybe not always HACKS, but interesting things. Interesting things that should be of interest to people that enjoy hacks, if not always hacks.
But still, people complain.
It’s too bad, too bad.
Very tightly integrated safety and functionality!
Very cool!
He could probably sell these things too.
Agreed Spuds
Nice work!
Wonderful job. Love the hack. The safety system is not too encumbersome, but adds a lot of safety layers to mitigate the dangers of laser light. Great work Everett!
(P.S. Hackaday, you didn’t name Everett in the post! I had to look in the video to see who this guy is)
nice home hack, but this has already been done in a commercial fashion, by our favorite company who likes to burn things.
http://www.wickedlasers.com/laser-tech/smart_switch.html
Nice Project!
I especially liked using the tweezers and magnifier to show the controller.
Spud, You are an hero.
CSG –
Wickedlasers is a BAD company. They lie about the power of their lasers.
A good company, like O-like, dragonlasers, or laserglow gives you a laser that’s good priced and will actually go over it’s rated power, not far below it like the ones at Wickedlasers.
Niicko01: That may be true for their green DPSS lasers, or their outrageously overpriced 405nm “sonar” series, but when it comes to 445nm, $200 for a <1W pointer is a damn fair price when it comes with free goggles and shipping.
All their stuff used to be way underspec and way overpriced.. Now, in the past year or so, after receiving a bad rep from LPF and other laser enthusiast sites, they've started to produce some stuff that's actually half decent.
Very nice work. Mr. Bradford has some surgical skills, soldering a PIC that small isn’t easy.
I think i have some machines at work that could use this safety circuit.
I just wish i could borrow the laser to take down the bloody heli circling around my neighbourhood.
That fool i flying (too) low enough to see my middlefinger.
but has it got ardu…nice post :)
last week i bought 200mw green laser pointer, then i redo it and installed on my pps, looks rather cool!