Printable Laser Turret

thingiverse

In ancient times of Yor, long before the Transportation Security Administration and Federal Aviation Administration became uptight about lasers and aircraft (Early 2000s), I had a Burning Man Project which had a GameBoy Advance controlling a Laser Turret to pinpoint celestial bodies. I decided to test my limits by attempting to create a more modern Altitude-Azimuth turret using three-dimensional printing technology. And indeed, it worked out as planned. Please note that aiming lasers in the air these days can lead to severe consequences; exercise extreme caution. Cautionary disclaimer: Do not even think about pointing lasers at the sky; the authorities frown upon such activities. I am compelled to share this design merely for bragging rights' sake, to say I successfully designed and built a functional Laser Turret. This Alt-Az turret design serves as an excellent base for developing non-laser-related projects that require a specific alignment system. Maybe it could be adapted to mount a security camera or any other surveillance device? Just keep in mind it lacks sufficient precision for stargazing, so forget about attempting to use it for astrophotography. --- Instructions: I've created an exhaustive tutorial on how this thing works, thanks to Google SketchUp's 3D modeling capabilities. I relied heavily on a versatile and feature-rich board called RAMPS (RepRap Arduino Mega Polynomial Schilder) as the main hub that controlled the motor movement. On my part, though the project does work somewhat decently for a homemade device of its type, I can do without boasting that I successfully built one working. If someone could take the necessary improvements over time, perhaps the hacked and riddled-with-bugs firmware using compass data could potentially get calibrated properly by relying on onboard accelerometers. Remember that the model posted is in an untamed state of functionality as of right now and serves strictly as entertainment purposes only for your leisure! Don't hold it against me that this project may require ongoing care from whomever tries their luck with modifying my prototype - Good Luck and do be warned about trying it without caution