Cat Toys to Engravings: Lasers at Home and in Business
Once the exclusive realm of laboratory scientists, laser technology is now all over the place in homes, industrial facilities, and commercial businesses. Lasers at home and in business are measuring, cutting, and creating captivating things, from cat toys to engravings. Learn more below!
Land Surveying
Say goodbye to long, tangled measuring tapes or even those metal measurers that snap back at you when you release the lock button. Thanks to laser technology, surveyors and engineers can now measure distances accurately and efficiently. LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) can capture up to 900,000 data points per second!
Retail & Inventory
The joy (or annoyance) that is self-checkout with its high-pitched beep, beep, beep comes to us courtesy of lasers scanning bar codes. Barcode scanners use a low-power laser diode to identify products and their prices. Imagine a world without barcodes. Chaos, right?
Eye Surgery
LASIK, anyone? Far be it from us to suggest that a devoted Geek get rid of their black-rimmed, thick-lensed glasses, but it’s possible to change that stereotypical look with laser-assisted eye surgeries like LASIK (laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis—say that three times fast!). Eye surgeons can now correct your vision using a beam of light, reshaping the cornea, and boom—clearer vision!
Entertaining Cats (and Geeks) at Home
Who doesn’t enjoy watching a cat chase a red dot? Cat toys equipped with laser pointers will continue to bring much-needed laughter to all laser enthusiasts.
Metal Fabrication
Laser cutting is one of the top three types of thermal cutting techniques for metal fabrication. Laser cutters not only ensure maximum accuracy but also allow for faster production. The result? Reduced material waste and consistent, high-quality components.
Engraving and Marking
Engrave your monogram on a metal plate for your suitcase. Add a logo to a key fob or burn an image onto the top of that wooden box that holds all your game cards and miniatures—laser engraving makes it possible to personalize almost any item using a high-power, concentrated beam of light.
On a more businesslike note, laser wire marking is also essential to identify cables used to connect servers in data centers. The permanent labeling on the cables makes it easier to keep cables organized and correctly connected to compatible components.
Light Shows
A light show with lasers is the cherry on top of an amazing concert or festival, and increasingly (along with drones) a less explosive substitute for Independence Day fireworks. Lasers make any event memorable, from epic battles of the bands to breathtaking EDM festivals.
Lasers at home and in business are making our lives more efficient, fun, and, in some cases, physically healthier, with laser surgery not just on the eyes but also on tumors and blood vessels. As pieces of cutting-edge technology, lasers are carving the future.