Laser Image Projector

Step 7 Expanding the Concept

I'm sure I've omitted some important detail, but I hope its relatively clear.

There are so many ways to expand this I'm only going to suggest a few:

• Use glass lens for a brighter image (pull apart old cameras for these)
• Once confident, try a more powerful laser (100mW+). Remember lasers = dangerous!
• Instead of slides, use small TFT screens (such as those 'digital photo-keychains'). You will need a more powerful laser though to get a brighter image. Or rip apart a digital photo frame. Caution: mobile phone screens (or any screen designed to work in sunlight) will not work nearly as well.
• Use spinning/vibrating mirrors (with small motors) to create a form of scanning that potentially give the illusion of a much brighter image via persistence of vision (quite complex). This link to Starcross42's example demonstrates a technique for creating spiral effects. Check out his other videos as well!.
• use biological matter between two glass slide and project the microscopic onto hospital buildings.

Comments

[ALogan97]

Would one of those small, red pet toy-type lasers work?

[squiggy2]

any laser would work, but obviously the lower power the laser, the dimmer it would be and the shorter range it would have. echo_anomie here uses a 100mW laser, but states under materials that 10mW+ is needed. 5mW is considered the limit for "safe" lasers, so you can expect a pet laser would be even less than that.
In short, yes a pet laser would work, but it would have a range of probably a few cm in a dark room

[wareneutron]

now you watch in film viewing

[bodhi.evans]

The pictures in step seven look suspiciously like a bomb...

[qmc]

Don't worry ... as long as you're not a Muslim, you should be alright :/

[ZeroXL91]

Lol, that's what I was thinking! <.< >.> cool project though eh?

[mgysgthath]

SO essentially you're just piping the beam through the slide, after diffusing it with the lens? I've got a 450mW 532nm laser and I'm thinking of trying this one out. I've already got some convex lenses. I've got ready access to plenty of LCD screens and I'm wondering what you're thinking? Pipe a video signal through the LCD and instead of a regular backlight, use the laser? I think with 450mW even with the light absorption, it might work decent.

[industrialphreak]

you know what would be cool...
get a green one, a blue, and a red one all together and have full color laser projection.

[JermsG]

That's exactly what I was thinking too! Already wondering where I can scrounge parts from....

[redstarsrbija]

I reaaaalllly wonder if this would work

[mgysgthath]

Well my RPL-425 is for sale, if anyone wants a 433mW professional green laser.

[mateoplummer]

Has anyone tried it with a TFT screen? I'm confused to how it would work, I thought TFT screens aren't translucent, or are they translucent enough for a powerful laser to pass through? what would the image quality be like? thanks

[xeniczone]

It would possibly be possible to do with a TFT screen but have some problems. The TFT screen is indeed transparent. But the screen absorbs at least 50% of the light so to do it with this would be too dim. An idea would be to use either DLP or maybe Plasma. Plasma wouldn't absorb as much of the light but the image quality wouldn't be as good and they don't make plasmas that small. But there is nothing stopping you from trying. A Laser projector would be noval as you wouldn't have to focus it and could project the image extremely long distances. But you will have to face some difficulties like There would need 3 LCD screens and 3 Lasers that would all have to be focused into one image. Using a R G B set up.

[adventuresinparadise]

I'm not certain Plasma would work, plasma works literally by using exited gas to emit UV light which in turn makes coloured phosphorus glow. They don't rely on a back-lit white sheet for illumination like TFT screens so I doubt a Laser would be able to pass through it in any meaningful way.

[bethehammer]

I see a lot of old video projectors on ebay pretty cheap. Of course most need a new lamp which runs about $300+ I wonder if you could replace the lamp assembly with a laser set up like this... even at 100mW laser.. it would still use less power than the 150 to 300W lamps... and if your application is monochrome (like projecting a ghostly talking face on a white statue...) Any thoughts on if that would work???

[JermsG]

I'm loving the idea of a talking statue right now.
Don't see why that wouldn't work, as long as you don't mind adding a little extra bulk to the setup.

[xeniczone]

To do it you would probably need a DLP projector because I don't think LCD would be bright enough, by the time you got a laser bright enough it would be too bright and start burning holes in stuff you project it on, lol. Just as a guy you would need 3 Lasers and a DLP projector, then you would need to sync the dlp with the lasers to turn on and off the right color laser at the right time. Thats the hard part, After you get done it might work but I wouldn't think it's worth it. So no probably not. Again even if you do get it all to work most projectors have lamps that are 20,000lumens, lasers aren't that bright...

[fokusco]

 20,000 lumens!!!!!  Sign me up for a projector like that!  My DLP is rated at 1,800...  i sucks

[xeniczone]

 Actually 20,000 is more like a metal halide.  I think most commercial projector, (the small business projector), are only 5000 lumens.  The 1800 rating is the amount of light the makes it out the lens.

[Bort]

make me one assembly without the laser and i buy it 50 dollars

[Deepflight]

Echo, I noticed you started with a 10mW laser but the finished project was a 100mW laser. Did the 10mW work.

[echo_anomie]

If you go to step six, one of the images project is with the 10mw laser. The case laser is there more as an example of alternatives.

[daves750gsxr]

where did you find the concave lens to project or widen the laser beam? how far does your case project images(the one with 100mw laser)? And if I want it to project far would I need multiple concave lens- or a combination of concave, double concave, or convex lens?

[elbarjo]

Hello dear inventor ! I love your project, but it's not to make slides. Do you think it's possible to make it work with other things? I aim to project words, little drawings on big wall.

[echo_anomie]

If you have access to a photocopier that prints onto overhead transparencies, then you can make really small slides.

[elbarjo]

It's a very good idea ! Maybe a printer can do this job as well no ?

[popbop]

Yes. You could print your "slides" with inkjet transparency material on your inkjet printer? Laser transparencies could possible work, but toner is relatively opaque and requires the right material make for laser printers.

[Zega]

Heh, it would scare people to death considering it looks like a terrorist explosive case. I hope everyone takes care where they bring this, for both themselves and the panicked hearts of others.