Unsated by the construction of his laser-Gatling gun and steel blade-firing crossbow, German tinkerer and DIY Jedi, Patrick Priebe has upped the ante one step further, birthing the world’s first homemade laser-strapped drone. The project is equal parts cool and equal parts foolish, and for this reason, Priebe — who is a staunch proponent of following laser safety — will not share his schematics or sell already assembled laser drones the way he sells his other gizmos.
The “Flying Laser,” as it’s called, began as a humble camera-equipped Amewi AMX-51 quadcopter which retails for €89.99 or roughly $97.00. Priebe then added a 3-mW red laser for aiming and a 1.5-w laser for burning to drone’s undercarriage, after replacing the 850-mAh 7.4-volt battery with a slightly more powerful 1,200 mAh variant. He then configured the red aiming laser to remain on for as long as the AMX-51 remains in flight, while the blue laser that is manually triggered is linked to the MCU that controls the drone’s LED lights. The added components are protected by 1 mm aluminum sheets with drilled in ventilation holes.
The drone can be seen in action blasting balloons in the video below. Observe how he attached battery-powered propellers to a series of helium balloons in order to make the experience slightly more entertaining.
Priebe’s makes it a point to prioritize safety above all else, emphasizing that his drone is only used indoors in an enclosed environment, shooting at nothing but balloons. Safety googles for both him, and the cameraman who shot the video are a must.
Source: Gizmag via YouTube
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