Laser Image projectors for higher-power lasers?

[xanatos]

I'm looking for a source for one of those "holographic" (as they call them sometimes in ads) image projectors, like were popular back in the 90s with small key-chain laser pointers that had filters to project hearts, smiley-faces, etc... but I'm looking for one that will project a square grid pattern and can accept a beam power of up to 8 Watts at 445nm without cooking the poor pattern filter Would like to know a) what those pattern filters are properly called, and b) where they can be purchased inexpensively. Thanks!

 

[Ricker]

I assume the use is to burn a perfect square?

 

[LumenWorks]

I remember those! I started an internet company in 1996 named "1 Above The Rest Co., Inc.". I started it to figure out that mysterious (at the time) WWW thing. When trying to figure out something to sell on my unknown website, I came across a booth at a trade show selling laser pointers. Commercial solid state lasers were just coming out back then. I made a deal with them and started selling laser pointers. We had all kinds of those keyring lasers with changeable patterns.

 

[LumenWorks]

The $3 cat toy laser at Walmart cost $30-$100 back then. My wife and I sold the heck out of them!

 

[xanatos]

I assume the use is to burn a perfect square?

Nope - to project a large (3 to 4'/~ 1 meter) daylight-visible grid onto objects and surfaces. Ideally something that might have a 3x3 or 4x4 grid pattern...

Thanks

 

[xanatos]

I found this thread:

T

Post in thread 'How to make a laser grid?'

Oct 10, 2018

Hi Guys,
I think it would be really cool to make a laser grid, but I'm not sure how to start.

Attached is what I'm looking to make.. It would be cool to get a fine grid and take pictures with the laser pointed to 3d objects!

Can this be done without a scanner? Perhaps with one of those crappy caps that comes in weird shapes on 5mw res pointers? I've seen straight lines from those anyway...

I know thisnpost is a little older but I have been doing some research myself and not sure what your purpose is however for my project I’ve decided to use 4 cross lasers and overlap them. That...

• Toysrfun

But still not much. Interesting mention of an x-y scanner...???

 

[xanatos]

I found this thread:

T

Post in thread 'How to make a laser grid?'

Oct 10, 2018

Hi Guys,
I think it would be really cool to make a laser grid, but I'm not sure how to start.

Attached is what I'm looking to make.. It would be cool to get a fine grid and take pictures with the laser pointed to 3d objects!

Can this be done without a scanner? Perhaps with one of those crappy caps that comes in weird shapes on 5mw res pointers? I've seen straight lines from those anyway...

I know thisnpost is a little older but I have been doing some research myself and not sure what your purpose is however for my project I’ve decided to use 4 cross lasers and overlap them. That...

• Toysrfun

But still not much. Interesting mention of an x-y scanner...???

 

[kecked]

I think you can look for medical alignment lasers. They use something like it for patients. It’s doesn’t always need to be a laser. You can use a gobo light

 

[Eidetical]

They're called Diffractive Optical Elements or Computer Generated Holograms. You want one etched into quartz, not cast with polymer for mass production. They can be very expensive to have custom made with a long lead time. I had a custom target made maybe 15 years ago and still have a few that could be tested at high power. My old friend Bernard Kress wrote the book on them. https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Diffractive-Optics-Introduction-Technology/dp/0471984477

 

[xanatos]

They're called Diffractive Optical Elements or Computer Generated Holograms. You want one etched into quartz, not cast with polymer for mass production. They can be very expensive to have custom made with a long lead time. I had a custom target made maybe 15 years ago and still have a few that could be tested at high power. My old friend Bernard Kress wrote the book on them. https://www.amazon.com/Digital-Diffractive-Optics-Introduction-Technology/dp/0471984477

Interesting link... at $398.09 per copy, I hope he still managed to sell a few copies!

 

[bones222]

Interesting link... at $398.09 per copy, I hope he still managed to sell a few copies!

That msut be some book
I found it used on ebay for only $110