Show HN: Laser Graffiti (laser.consti.de)

155 pointsby con3 days ago32 comments

thot_experiment 10 hours ago

https://graffitiresearchlab.com/blog/projects/laser-tag/#vid...

everything old is new again, and toys will be toys

ddellacosta 8 hours ago

Heh I was just about to say, people were doing stuff like this at Parsons/ITP a decade and a half ago, at least...haven't thought about GRL in a while, thanks for the flashback

mapkkk 8 hours ago

This is what I immediately thought of as well, I'm just grateful you remembered the name of the project.

An absolute blast from the past, thank you for unlocking the memories of me reading these cool projects way back when!

amenghra 8 hours ago

This is even older (I think), similar idea of building interactive experiences using off-the-shelf lasers: https://web.archive.org/web/20040202205307/http://www.monzy....

sleepybrett 7 hours ago

kids don't think we have memories.

trial3 5 hours ago

i’m so happy this is the top comment. i’m someone who found the GRL as… a middle schooler and boy was it the coolest thing i’ve ever seen at the time

echelon 3 hours ago

I love this project!

I saw this back in the day and it inspired me to build this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x034jVB1avs

I hacked together some game jam games with it:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zd7A6TEthPQ

Alexis Ohanian commented on my video, which was awesome:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uF_OCvjq3ps

I eventually built a laser drawing system too. I used a 532 nanometer optical filter taped to a webcam to isolate green laser pointer light, then drew a sampled approximation of the shapes. I recorded that somewhere, but never uploaded it...

In retrospect, I'm glad I didn't get in trouble for this.

con 5 hours ago

Thanks! This was absolutely the inspiration - and I've also mentioned it on the page (right under the video) and in the repository's Readme.

thunderbong 2 hours ago

The video is referenced in the article as an inspiration.

con 3 hours ago

Hi HN and สวัสดีครับ! I remember seeing this the first time in Vienna by a friend of mine, Michi who came back from NYC and I believe he learned about it at the local hacker space at the time: NYC resistor.

I knew Michi through the Metalab, our hacker space in Vienna. Originally the idea seems to have been from the Graffiti Research Lab, which is also what I've linked to on my page and in the repo's Readme.

I think the version that Michi used was a MacOS app (not sure which framework), but I've always wanted to make it a web app. So all you need now is a projector, a laser pointer, and a laptop (with a camera).

I've already tried a few fun setups (eg using the iPhone's camera or using AirPlay connected to the projector). It's quite flexible.

Let me know if you end up using it and please share videos / photos and I'd be happy to put them up.

I know the original is old-skool cool, which I think makes this a fun project.

I'll try to set it up at the next CCC (2027) - if you see me there, come say Hi (I'll probably be in a banana costume).

cold_boot an hour ago

Always wanted to mess around with a projector like this! The alignment problem on weird surfaces must have been a fun challenge.

d_finch an hour ago

Immediately thought of WarGames. The applications for temporary outdoor displays are super interesting.

nico 10 hours ago

Very cool. I remember seeing a video of some people doing this on a whole building… found it: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DKbtTPYZEig&t=30s

ddellacosta 8 hours ago

same crew as is referenced here too: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49513717

Vakaiser 10 hours ago

While this is interesting, what I really wanted to see was more 'graffiti' and less 'laser'.

Graffiti, fundamentally, is a defacement of public property as a form of artistic self expression. To that end, why not combine this with a laser engraver instead of a laser pointer?

Imagine hooking this up and then literally carving your graffiti into the side of a brick building. Or burning it into the paint on a metal container car.

Obviously such a thing has the potential for serious bodily harm and could start building or wild fires inadvertently, to say nothing of the energy consumption requirements such a laser engraver would necessitate.

Counterpoint: rule of cool.

grufkork 10 hours ago

You’ll probably burn your retinas with the backscatter

brianpan 8 hours ago

Defacement is not the point of graffiti. It's fundamentally visual, not fundamentally destructive.

clickety_clack 8 hours ago

Ask the people who have to clean it off.

trashcan_man 5 hours ago

"Can you tell the jury what you told investigators when you decided to use computerized directed energy weapons to target civllian infrastructure?"

"...rule of cool?"

harlan_pdx 2 hours ago

Reminds me of messing with old laser pointers as a kid, but way more sophisticated. Love seeing creative uses of tech.

tabulatouch 7 hours ago

Not drawing (yet), about to arrive, but I built a whole projected arcade system on the same vibe, but way before vibecoding… :)

https://s-argame.com

TM_0624789 2 days ago

This is really cool! I wonder if for the drip on neon you could make it start from the bottom of the line to make it a little smoother. And maybe you could try making it translucent for the marker so it matches the marker ink.

doanthu249 2 days ago

So cool! I can see its application in presentation. Does this support more than 1 laser btw?

con 2 days ago

I haven't tried, but it should be possible to do so pretty easily.

nixosbestos 2 hours ago

These green laser pointers are bright enough to cause eye damage from the reflection off surfaces, for humans and pets.

giov4 3 days ago

very cool, I can imagine use-cases like a friends evening playing at home with the projector or even school doing didactic.

love the whole simplicity and the style too.

AFF87 3 days ago

Consti, this could do well on IG and TikTok.

Love the take on AI

con 3 days ago

Thanks! I'm not much of a social media person (went so far that I made an Apple shortcut app to launch IG in the messages screen[0], so I can avoid the feed). But maybe I'll try to post something there.

[0] just open the URL instagram://direct-inbox

Tomlmmrs 7 hours ago

Looks cool!

Transformanshen 9 hours ago

Cool project

reaperducer 10 hours ago

"Tanning invitation"

/Ob Real Genius