For all of you G33k types: Build your own laser range finder ( for ch34p)

[KnacK]

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/~twd25/webcam_laser_ranger.html

[Nitroboy]

dude, thats awsome. I am going to build one once I get a webcam.

[sk89q]

:O

* sk89q is interested.

[DaRkNeSS]

Why would you want one?

[Eiii]

So you can tell how far away things are. Duh.

Actually, I was thinking of investing in a webcam or two, a USB dart launcher, and some servos to make a system that'd automatically fire darts at things. Maybe two webcams and one high-powered laser pointer, so you could point the laser at things and have it automatically calculate heading, distance, compensate for gravity, and fire.

It'd be near-impossible to get everything to work together just right, though. And I don't even know if the laser thing is possible at a distance.

[Apocalypse]

Is a webcam that doesn't work fine?

[KnacK]

Is a webcam that doesn't work fine?

* KnacK pokes Apoc's eye out for that comment.

No silly, it HAS to work.

[Apocalypse]

* KnacK pokes Apoc's eye out for that comment.

No silly, it HAS to work.

I didn't even read it I just saw all you need to make a distance laser range finder is a webcam and a laser pointer so I'm like cool does the webcam have to work.

[KnacK]

<3 Apoc

[jitspoe]

I'd be more interested in something where you can set up a webcam to point at a projector screen and detect the locations of where the laser hits.  I don't feel like spending $3000 on a system that does such a thing.

But range finders are cool, too, I guess...

[ViciouZ]

Reminds me: One day at school someone brought in their laptop and plugged it in to the smartboard and projector. Then he started virtua cop which he had on his laptop, and then he stood in front of the projector with an airsoft gun. Whenever some guy popped up he shot the bb gun, the pellet hit the screen and was registered as a mouse click and the bad guy got shot. The problem was, when he had finished, the board was covered in little dents :-/

[Eiii]

Reminds me: One day at school someone brought in their laptop and plugged it in to the smartboard and projector. Then he started virtua cop which he had on his laptop, and then he stood in front of the projector with an airsoft gun. Whenever some guy popped up he shot the bb gun, the pellet hit the screen and was registered as a mouse click and the bad guy got shot. The problem was, when he had finished, the board was covered in little dents :-/

Hah! That's a good way to break a very expensive board, too.

[y00tz]

Reminds me: One day at school someone brought in their laptop and plugged it in to the smartboard and projector. Then he started virtua cop which he had on his laptop, and then he stood in front of the projector with an airsoft gun. Whenever some guy popped up he shot the bb gun, the pellet hit the screen and was registered as a mouse click and the bad guy got shot. The problem was, when he had finished, the board was covered in little dents :-/

That's awesome.

[jitspoe]

Nice.  Wonder if there's a cheap way to set something like that up.  It would probably be less expensive to go the laser/camera route.

[KnacK]

They make a device that connects to your usb port then has 2 devices that you attach to 2 corners of a white board or drawing surface that turns anythign in to a smart board.