Styropyro provides a quick overview of the laser-emitting device in the video, but falls short of detailing how he built it, leaving that information for curious DIYers to find in his earlier videos, the laser-point forums, or other laser-enthusiast sites. The 7W laser lightsaber was created using a blue Nichia GaN laser diode that was overdriven to 7W using a few buck drivers connected in parallel. He added two lithium-ion batteries to power the device and an anti-reflective coated glass lens to focus the beam. With all the parts in hand, he packed the components into a lightsaber-shaped host and assembled a powerful handheld laser that’ll scare and impress people at the same time.
As with most of his videos, Styropyro uses the laser to burn paper, pop balloons, ignite a piece of wood, and even cut through soldering wire. Though remarkable for a handheld device, the 7W device lightsaber is not nearly as impressive as his 40W laser cannon, which uses eight parallel 5-watt laser beams and focuses them into a single 40-watt beam using a lens. The incredibly bright laser is 20,000 times as powerful as most office supply laser pointers, which produce a 2mW beam.
For his next project, Styropyro is planning to produce a 160-watt laser bazooka by combining four 40-watt laser diodes. He also wants to build a ruby laser using a 1,350-carat ruby crystal and explosives.
