Laser Scanner

Laser scanned stretched hand

A motor driven hexagonal mirror spreads a green laser beam in the horizontal direction onto my hand.
“Continue reading” for laser scanner details and unusual effects of this laser attachment.

I made up a laser printer unit mirror with a 5 mW green laser. The laser needed 3 V and I made a LM317 regulator to run at 3 V for it.

I took the initial shots then found the laser and regulator were overheating so I added a fan. I then blew the electronics of the mirror drive with an accidental reverse polarity.
So now the tidy unit has a fan and a belt drive motor hanging off it – but it works.

Hexagonal photocopier mirror and laser setup Laser scanner on. Now using a separate motor
The upper photo shows the scanning unit and green laser. The lower photo shows the addition of the fan and the replacement of the electronic motor with a crude belt drive.

Scanner on hand kept still
Scanner on moving hand

The upper photo shows my hand in front of the laser scanner. The centre and right photos shows my hand moving through the scanner then out of the photo for the remainder of the 1 second exposure. Note how you can see through the hand.

Room scanned by green laser in two directionsScanned room 2These photos show scans made by moving the laser scanner by hand, through a left to right then up and down sweep in a room.

Daffodils in normal lightLaser scanner image of daffodils in the garden 
A scan of a flower bed with identical frame.

Scan of moving face
Face scan then  moving into a red light in 2 secondsA few weirdly distorted faces. Movement during the exposure means that different areas of the face are lit at different times.

LaserDisplayCoverOffHingeEndLabels1000Here is the scanner incorporated in a laser table display in 2014.

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Related pages

Laser Table - Dark  Laser table display

Try something else

Why sword swallowing. 'spose there was nuthin' on tele.  Sword swallowing and sparks

External links

Photo Date:  2006,   Aug 11, 2012,   March 16, 2014

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