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Electronics

LaserSaber may not be a real lightsaber, but it sure looks like one

By Dave Parrack
May 08, 2012
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The LaserSaber lightsaber could make your Star Wars fantasies come true
Two LaserSaber lightsabers with different colored lasers and styles of hilt
Two LaserSaber lightsabers tracing through the air
The LaserSaber lightsaber could make your Star Wars fantasies come true
The LaserSaber screws directly into the Spyder 3 laser
View gallery - 4 images

I doubt there are many Star wars fans out there who haven't, at one time or another, fantasized about owning a lightsaber. These are the weapons favored by Jedi and Sith, resembling a sword but with a blade formed of colored light. To have one at your disposal is the dream of geeks everywhere; a dream that has just edged closer to becoming a reality.

Wicked Lasers LaserSaber is designed to complement the company's Spyder 3 lasers. The S3 lasers are so powerful that the top-of-the-range Krypton model is claimed to have a range of 85 miles (137 km) and with a projected dot shining 8,000 times brighter than the sun it's no wonder these come with safety goggles as standard.

The 32-inch long LaserSaber "blade" is made from thick-walled polycarbonate 1/8 of an inch thick and the hilt is made from anodized T6061 aircraft-grade aluminum. The LaserSaber screws directly onto the S3 laser, the two together creating what looks remarkably like a real lightsaber ... if such a thing existed.

The most striking effect of the LaserSaber is the way in which the blade appears to sheath and unsheathe itself. This is made possible by an optical element that distributes the light along the blade working in conjunction with a "magnetic gravity system" - a metal sphere suspended inside the diffuser tube that's magnetically locked into place at the tip until a decent bump dislodges it.

The LaserSaber screws directly into the Spyder 3 laser

Not A Toy

In a society in which fast food chains can be sued over the heat of their coffee, there's clearly potential here for legal issues. Wicked Lasers makes it clear that the LaserSaber is not a toy and insists one should only be "operated in a controlled environment by professionals" - although the impressive video below is designed clearly to appeal to more than just stuntmen.

The LaserSaber doesn't seem to have any practical uses, but then I guess that isn't the point. It has been created to look as close to the "real thing" as possible and there's bound to be demand for that reason alone. In terms of using the LaserSaber - if you stand still while wearing protective goggles and looking cool then no harm done, but clearly a duel isn't recommended.

The LaserSaber costs US$99, but needs to be teamed with a Spyder 3 laser (priced between $289.95 and $969.95).

Source: Wicked Lasers via Wired

View gallery - 4 images

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ElectronicsLaserLightsabersBladesWicked Lasers
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Dave Parrack
Dave is a technology journalist with a ravenous appetite for gadgets, gizmos, and gubbins. He's based in the UK, and from his center of operations writes about all facets of modern and future technology. He has learned more in his five years writing for the Web than he did in 11 years at school, and with none of the boring subjects thrown in to the mix.
18 comments
PimplyDykBallz
When the police and politicians finally realize how insanely dangerous these "weapons" are, they will be illegal, like they should have been in the first place. No one needs to have a laser that can blind someone any more than they need a rocket launcher to take out their enemies house. Yeah, you can stab someone with a knife, so what... you have to be right up on them to do that. With a laser, you can safely blind (or permanently impair) someone from a very very long distance. Ask airline pilots who have been temporarily blinded by some jackwipe pointing these at a plane from his backyard.
railwaymen
On the video it looks amazing! But of course in wrong hands it can be so dangerous... Can't imagine what would happened is someone brought this to school, or something... ;)
mrhuckfin
It's funny how every time wicked laser gets an article here on gizmag the 1st comments from people is to make them illegal! I would LOVE to have one if I could afford one? I'm pretty sure I could own one with out committing any felonies. LOL!
Inappropriate Response
haha , it even says "blinding radiance" in the advert.
Nitrozzy Seven
is it troll day or something?
Darlene Maynard
These should be illegal! I mean, you have to wear goggles to protect your eyes? The potential for harm is very high! People aren't responsible enough in my opinion.
cachurro
Forget about what the advertisers say of it being 'dangerous'. It might all be just for pomotional purposes. You should look for the power output, which should be less than 5 mW (Class IIIa). At that power, the blink reflex protects the eye from injury. And of course, you should keep your eyes closed, which could be dangerous by itself if you are driving a vehicle. It surprised me that the article writer Dave Parrack did not include the power output.
kar
you know what should be illegal? dumb people. "i looked into the center of it 'till i went blind." duh. yeah, everything should be illegal, lets make life as sterile as possible, shall we? it could be a weapon? "hey you. hold still long enough so i can point this in your eyes, you feel that discomfort? that's my violent weapon subduing you as we speak!" get real people.
lwesson
I agree with kar. Dumb People, making Police States forever happy, with endless Nanny laws for YOUR protection.
Dave Parrack
Cachurro, the reason I didn't include the power output is that this is about the LaserSaber rather than the Spyder 3 lasers it works with. The S3 lasers come in a range of outputs from 1W to 750mW. That information is available on the Wicked Lasers website and the old article about the S3 lasers, both of which are linked to in the article.
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