laser - SlashGear

Marines to test drone-killing laser Humvees by 2016

Chris Davies | Aug 13, 2014

Military Humvees with lasers capable of shooting down drones should be ready for field-testing by 2016, preparing for a new age of warfare where unmanned, remotely-controlled weapons platforms attack from the skies. The Ground-Based Air Defense Directed Energy On-the-Move program (GBAD) aims to equip US Marines with highly portable anti-drone weapon systems, significantly miniaturized versus the lasers the US Navy will test on battleships later this year.

Lasers and carbon-nanotubes pave way to live brain scanning

Chris Davies | Aug 8, 2014

Lasers and carbon nanotubes peering into the brain might sound like the stuff of science fiction, but tests that could one day mean precise non-invasive diagnosis of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and other diseases are already underway. The technology, developed by chemists at Stanford University, has so far been tested on mice, but opens the door to an alternative to physically removing sections of the skull to track cellular-level changes.

ISS to Earth: Hello World sent via laser

JC Torres | Jun 9, 2014

NASA has reached another milestone, and probably a world record, in its efforts to speed up communication between a spacecraft and Earth. It has just sent a short high-definition video from the International Space Station 260 miles above the planet to its ground base in California, using a laser beam instead of the traditional radio wave.

Audi R8 LMX starts laser battle with BMW i8

Chris Davies | May 10, 2014

It's the battle of the super-niche supercars, and it's being fought with lasers. Laser headlamps, that is, with Audi following BMW in adding laser lamp technology on its flagship R8 LMX limited-edition coupe, but claiming to in fact be the first production car to actually deliver the tech to eager nighttime drivers.

New laser tech may give science the ability to control the weather

Shane McGlaun | Apr 22, 2014

A study has been published that outlines a method of creating a laser beam that can travel further than lasers were previously able to travel. Researchers from the University of Arizona have developed a way to increase the distance the laser can travel in air by encasing it in the beam of light of another laser. The process is described as being similar to wrapping a wire in an insulating layer.

US Navy deploying railguns and lasers (with no sharks in sight)

Chris Davies | Apr 10, 2014

The US Navy will begin in-the-wild trials of a laser weapon that can bring down aircraft or small vessels this summer, controlled just like a video game and costing about $1 a shot. The technology will be deployed initially on the USS Ponce, an amphibious transport dock in the Persian Gulf, rather than mounted to a shark's head, the Navy confirmed, and is part of R&D weaponry trials that also include railguns.

Israel to use C-MUSIC aircraft lasers to combat MANPADS

Chris Burns | Mar 3, 2014

The team responsible for protecting Israel’s commercial jets at the Israel Ministry of Defense have announced that they’re about to start doing it with lasers. They’ll be protecting these craft with SkyShield, a system developed by Israeli defense contractor Elbit Systems. This system utilizes laser technology with a thermal camera to deflect incoming threats.

BMW i8 gets laser headlamp option

Chris Davies | Feb 10, 2014

BMW is outfitting its luxury i8 plug-in hybrid coupe with lasers, though unfortunately that won't mean blasting slower traffic out of the lane ahead. The car will be the first production model in the world to get laser light headlamps, which use laser diodes to produce more daylight-like illumination, boost range, and - perhaps most importantly on a car powered by batteries - cut power consumption.

NASA Morpheus lander sees first successful test flight

Will Conley | Dec 10, 2013

NASA has successfully tested its Morpheus lander prototype. It launched today over a flame trench at NASA's Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility, climbed 50 feet into the air, hovered for 15 seconds, flew 23 feet and landed on the designated pad. Once put into service, the Morpheus model will be used to deliver cargo and fuel to asteroids and other extraterrestrial surfaces, as well as refuel deep-space probes. This is the same model that last year crashed and burst into flames like four Jiffy Pops going supernova.

Philips BeardTrimmer Series 9000 launches as first trimmer with integrated laser guide

Brittany A. Roston | Nov 21, 2013

Just in time for the soon-to-be-over month of Movember, Philips has launched the world's first facial hair trimmer with an integrated laser guide to help keep lines straight and even. Called the Beard Trimmer 9000, this small device has a variety of adjustable settings, and uses the laser to provide an instant, accurate, hands-off approach to avoid skewed lines.

Star Wars LaserDisc video provides long-lost clips galore

Chris Burns | Oct 28, 2013

There's nothing like a good Star Wars scene you've never seen before to start your week off right. What we're seeing here is the purchase of a massively expensive LaserDisc-format Return of the Jedi complete with a collection of behind-the-scenes video clips so rare that @THX found them amazing to behold. This is the collection known as EditDroid Demo ROTJ - manufactured by 3M from Saint Paul, Minnesota.

NASA space laser gets 622 Mbps

Chris Davies | Oct 23, 2013

Google may be floating the internet in balloons, but NASA is firing lasers between the moon and Earth, setting a new record in communications as it hunts an alternative to traditional radio. The Lunar Laser Communication Demonstration (LLCD) uses a pulsed laser beam to achieve 622 Mbps between a spacecraft orbiting the the moon and an Earth station at New Mexico, and could open the door to more data-rich communications supporting 3D video and higher-resolution images.