$200 Laser/Lightsaber

They recently released a video of it in action.

that's ridiculous.

So did anyone go to the site and read the warning? Not only can it obviously cause blindness, but it can also alter or remove your perception of green. Shining it on bare skin can cause cancer, as it exceeds your skins limit 75 times....

website wrote: Prolonged exposure to blue laser light can alter and have a diminishing effect on a person's perception of the color green.Patients who were treated for being exposed too long to intense blue laser light in the milliwatt range were only able to perceive the green color in a period of about 4-6 months. The blue wavelength can cause a distinct biochemical action in the release of free radicals which are then effectively absorbed by red blood cells in the capillaries. Blue laser light, 445nm or 470nm is absorbed more effectively by retinal tissue compared to 532nm green or 650nm red laser light. Though laser safety goggles can protect a person's vision, it's always best to remember NEVER to look into a laser beam or bright reflection even when wearing laser safety goggles. Overall, the best protection is still in arming oneself with preventive knowledge and to exercise responsibility and proper restraint when using lasers. Direct or indirect skin exposure to blue laser light is also harmful. The MPE (Maximum Permissible Exposure) for skin for a 3mm beam of this wavelength is approximately 200mW/CM^2. This is laser can easily generate a power density (irradiance) of about 15 Watts/CM^2. Therefore, this laser's beam exceeds the skin exposure MPE by ( 15 / 0.2 ) = 75 times. At this level of irradiance, skin exposure to the intense blue laser light can possibly cause cancer. Do not allow bare skin to be exposed, including your face when wearing safety goggles, to light diffusely reflected from any surface closer than several inches. This laser is a thousand times stronger than sunlight on skin and any type of exposure should be avoided whether it be from the collimated beam or close exposure to its bright diffused reflections. Blue light hazard can cause BLINDNESS and not just color perception issues. The power of this laser is no joke, at 1W the Spyder III Pro Arctic is a Class 4 Laser. Do not allow unprotected eye exposure to diffusely scattered light from the beam terminating on a wall, the floor or other flat surface from this laser closer than 3 feet. Accidental eye exposure will definitely result in instant retina tissue damage even within just milliseconds of exposure. Direct eye contact with the beam or reflected will cause instant permanent damage and blindness. Sometimes blindness may take a day or longer for the onset. Unlike instant injury from a bright flash of a red or green laser, this effect is cumulative over 24 hours. It is also possible that such an exposure could cause retinal degeneration and even loss of vision later in life. This is a very serious issue and would like to reiterate that extreme care, proper safety gear and the necessary safety precautions be followed when using the Spyder III Pro Arctic, it is not a toy, it is a high power Class 4 1W laser. In addition, this laser must NEVER be used to play with your pets. At close range, this Class 4 beam will cause immediate and irreversable retinal damage. Close proximity to the beam's diffused reflection off floors and walls could potentially cause injury and blindness. In general, DO NOT aim this laser on yourself, on your skin, on animals, on others or target moving vehicles and airplanes. The Spyder III Pro Arctic blue laser should only be handheld by individuals who have appropriate laser safety training and product familiarity in using Class 4 lasers. For more information and guidance please refer to ANSI Standard Z136.1 from the American National Standards Institute on the safe use of lasers.

I'm starting a countdown until someone is blinded at a concert, likely a performer.

Edited by choopie911 - 29 June 2010 at 7:12pm

HV,
UVEX laser safety glasses.  I use those at work.

Apu wrote: Wow it even looks like a lightsaber.

And that could be a problem. Word is George Lucas has sent cease and desist letters to Wicked Lasers, because he thinks they are in the wrong calling it a lightsaber. But Lucas should really be upset at all the tech blogs who copypasta'd the article from Gizmodo calling it a lightsaber. Wicked Lasers has never claimed it to be a lightsaber, check their site. IMO WL needs to tell Lucas to eat it because he didn't have a problem with their Spyder III host(the body of the laser) when it came out well over a year ago. WL simply took a reliable host they already designed and stuck the 445nm blue diode up in it with a new driver, the battery/lens/heatsink are the same you'd find on the Spyder III lasers. I'm not worried about Lucas screwing this up as it would never hold up in court.

Anyway, WL stopped with the maybes and shoulds and finally said the lasers start shipping on Monday. Again, I don't expect mine to head out with the first batch or two because a ton of people ordered before I had the chance. I just have to remain patient a little longer or I could actually order a DIY kit with the host, driver, battery, heatsink and lens. Then all I'd have to do is procure a blue diode and I could build my own 1W 445nm laser. It would cost less than the Arctic but the main reason I'm not building my own is the WL host's thermoelectric cooler performs much better than just a standard heatsink around the diode.

So what are you going to do with it?

See if you can use refraction within clouds to light them up at night. 

That's why I'm buying eye protection better than what Wicked Lasers offers. Getting some nice glasses that are OD 7+ at 445nm wavelength. They will allow me to burn stuff and use the laser for w/e else at very close range.

Surely I'm well justified in saying OLD here.

<3