Laser Doodle

This is the world's cheapest laser light show... It converts your voice and sounds to laser patterns. I made the first one years ago with my dad. We simplified the the design for BurningMan2006. We helped 200 people in one day make them at MakerFair 2007. TechShop was kind enough to supply the materials and booth space.

Materials needed:
-Tube (at least 4in long, between 2 and 4in in diameter)
-Laser pointer (like the cheap ones from longs)
-A latex glove or balloon
-Coat hanger (or ~12in piece of welding rod, best for mass production)
-Small mirror
-Hot melt (or double sticky tape, safer to handle but more expensive)
-Rubber Bands
Tools:
-Drill w/ small drill bit (size of the wire or coat hanger)
-Scissors
-Vice grippes or pliers

Step 1: Bend the wire

Bend your wire or coat hanger in half with small chanel down the center and bend the ends up in the same direction.

Comments

[Kryptonite]

Any idea what the affects on a tight glove or a loose glove would have on the light show? would the loose on make bigger patterns on the wall or wouldn't it work as well because it cant be moved as easy.

Just a thought
btw nice little idea of urs

[ElectroFrank]

Guessing intelligently, a looser diaphram would react better to low frequencies, a tight diaphram better to high frequency sounds. Worth experimenting.

Keeping the mirror very small and light should improve overall response. Try a piece of aluminium foil or similar.

[berky93]

a loose glove would mke bigger patterns, but if its too loose you wont be able to get it to work.

[ilpug]

i making a big one of these.

[M4industries]

Im making a modified  version of this for art. But with a speaker and jack in the box casing.

[bandish2189]

you can do with another topology it's better then this

[talco92]

If you glue this to an uncovered speaker, it creates patterns to the beat of music. see this tutorial: www.metacafe.com/watch/825350/amazing_laser_pointer_light_show_easy_to_make/

[Derin]

you should probably glue on the mirror

[szechuan53]

it might help...

[Derin]

maybe

[Saldan]

awesome job! i just need to know how to hold it but a cool and simple laser thingy yay! the glove vibrates and the mirror moves so the light goes everywhere!a lot simpler than i thought!

[PyroMonger]

im going to try this and add a speaker to it so i dont have to physically make a sound to use it and the music would make cool patterns when played....i think

[~Shadow~]

I'd be curious to see what certain sounds make :D

[dekumus]

u guys rock man !!

[SecondSun]

Sweet, the light show is amazing. P.S. If you make several with different color lasers (i.e. green) and tighten or loosen the glove of one of them you get a multicolour light show. <<<< just speculating, I'm not brave enough to try it yet :)

[nathan42100]

Could you use a piece of cut CD?

[Tomcat]

front surface mirror is best but a cd/dvd would work just fine... BTW this instructable has been done before this is a copy

[lagenger]

you should put some speakers or some headphones on something inside it. :E

[shadowman2]

I'm sure you can try and put more than one laser for a more dramatic effect. The instructable is great.

[ItsTheHobbs]

that is awesomly simple i need a laser so bad

[nathan42100]

For future reference, I used a balloon around a deli container and it didn't work with a regular talking voice. I had to yell at it to get it to move 15 feet away from a wall

[FreakCitySF]

This was fun to make and totally free at the maker faire! Thanks for sharing!

[lemonie]

Well, I haven't see this before, so I'm rating it. L

[Garth Knight]

This rocks. If you put a speaker in it pointing up, do you think it would be enough to move the diaphram? Can it be used for evil?

[Sharn]

A speaker would easily work just fine. Considering a speaker puts out just as much noise as your voice, why wouldn't it? If you closed it off, it would actually move too much air for the diaphragm and may move it out of the lasers path. (Depending on how low the sounds you are trying to make are.)

[rocketbat]

or you could just put the mirror on the speaker itself

[rocketbat]

great instructable and idea!

[rocketbat]

hmmm, i wonder what you saying?:D

[HamO]

Hot stuff! Very well done instructable good pix. Thanks for sharing.