[Seb Lee-Delisle]’s NES lightgun gave us pause as the effect is so cool we couldn’t quite figure out how he was doing it at first. When he pulls the trigger there erupts the beam of light Sci Fi has trained us to expect, then it explodes in a precision sunburst of laserlight at the other end as smoke gently trails from the end of the barrel. This is a masterpiece of hardware and trickery.
The gun itself is a gutted Nintendo accessory. It looks like gun’s added bits consist of two LED strips, a laser module (cleverly centered with two round heatsinks), a vape module from an e-cigarette, a tiny blower, and a Teensy. When he pulls the trigger a cascade happens: green light runs down the side using the LEDs and the vape module forms a cloud of smoke in a burst pushed by the motor. Finally the laser fires as the LEDs finish their travel, creating the illusion.
More impressively, a camera, computer, and 4W Laser are waiting and watching. When they see the gun fire they estimate its position and angle. Then they draw a laser sunburst on the wall where the laser hits. Very cool! [Seb] is well known for doing incredible things with high-powered lasers. He gave a fantastic talk on his work during the Hackaday Belgrade conference in April. Check that out after the break.
So what does he have planned for this laser zapper? Laser Duck Hunt anyone? He has a show in a month called Hacked On Classics where this build will be featured as part of the Brighton Digital Festival.
Now someone just needs to figure out a way to integrate the laser burst effect projector into the gun. Make it a simple one piece affair that will work anywhere…
It would get interference from the smoke.
What if you gave a large puff of air from the gun after the laser first fires and then have the laser do a burst effect?
Yeah, and that’d be GOOD!
2 diffraction gratings, one stationary, and one on a motor to rotate it. You see these on the “100000000000W ” laser pens from china
On thinking about it, if the laser burst effect was broadcast from the gun, you’d have to hold the gun REALLY STILL while the burst is going on for it to look right. With the external projector, you can wave the gun around and if you pull the trigger, wherever you’re waving it will get the burst even as you keep waving the gun.
So how is that burst effect being done?
You should read the article :
“a camera, computer, and 4W Laser are waiting and watching. When they see the gun fire they estimate its position and angle. Then they draw a laser sunburst on the wall where the laser hits. “
If only they’d thought to explain that in the third paragraph of the article.
Yes, if only. Sadly, all they said was “Then they draw a laser sunburst on the wall where the laser hits.” That’d be the part that needs additional explaining.
It’s a separate laser projector playing back an animation. The location of that animation is established when the camera see the laser pointer spot from the modified NES zapper.
Ahh, I see. Thanks!
Must make shoulder-blaster from Predator movie!
https://www.materialsampleshop.com/products/diffractive-optical-element
Watch the demo of the globe animation in their video for the animation effect with the globe.
If you have a laser pointer and a linear servo to move that slide (inside the gun), then you won’t the projector. Just need $$$ to make a custom slide for the effects.
^won’t need the projector.
At least it’s not that dog laughing, judging…
I hope you mean a 4mW laser. A 4 Watt laser would be quite dangerous
It is inside the projector, as per the link explains.
Small laser pointer in ‘zapper’; a camera and computer see and extrapolate the position and an animation is sent to a laser projector.
No, really, I hope you don’t mean a 4 Watt laser, I hope you mean a 4 mWatt laser:
https://www.osha.gov/dts/osta/otm/otm_iii/otm_iii_6.html#4
https://twitter.com/seb_ly/status/771771526903398401
The beam from the laser-projector is spread-out.
I doubt that projector would allow full output as a single coherent beam without extensive modification.
He should have a look at CNlohr’s glas-pcbs. would be a perfect match :)
I liked his “transmitting NTSC video by crossing 2 laser beams to produce perfect VHF signals as interference patterns”.
This is what I’ve always wanted
Acusto-optic deflector might do the job, but they a bit large for the gun.
How do you dare not naming the article “PEW PEW PEW”?