Thread: Where can I find a low intensity IR laser?

Hey, I am looking for an IR laser. I have searched and mostly only found industrial, several hundred dollar lasers meant for soldering (meant to get very, very hot). I primarily want the laser part because I do not want the IR waves to spread out... I want one focused spot of IR, but I don't want it to be very hot (too intense). It is meant to use with an IR camera, some software, and a projector to create an interactive whiteboard which can be controlled (the mouse) from far away. And while I'm here, does anyone know the best way to get or make some sort of infrared and red laser combo? I want to use the red laser simply for tracking purposes (to know where the infrared will show up). It will probably come down to me finding a low intensity IR laser, a cheap red laser and removing the parts and trying to make it as compact as possible and pointing at the same exact location.

so, let me get this straight

you want to stand on one side of a room, with a laser pointer, pointing a beam at an interactive whiteboard.
This whiteboard is connected to a computer, and moves the mouse
the projector projects the desktop back onto the whiteboard, so you can see the computer cursor (under the laser beam)

yes?

Found this on youtube
This is a video showing the effect of the IR laser in a DVD burner at different intensities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvWnJJZREM

I only say interactive whiteboard because that's what it would become, not because that's what I get originally. I am not like, getting a smartboard.

Essentially it's like this... I'm going to have a normal projector pointing at an everyday, normal white wall without any special effects. The projector is hooked up to a computer of course and is showing the computer's image on the wall. The infrared camera is pointing at the wall (the projected image) and it reads any infrared light and the software translates that to mouse movement (in this way you can use a tiny IR LED writing on the wall to create an "interactive whiteboard," but that's not what I'm attempting here). So basically the laser will hopefully allow me to be far away and project a concentrated dot onto the projection. Get it?

Originally Posted by Ynot

Found this on youtube
This is a video showing the effect of the IR laser in a DVD burner at different intensities

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LlvWnJJZREM

Well yeah, I have searched a little, but as you can see, those things get very very hot. I don't want a laser that will burn the wall nor a canvas that the image is being projected on. That is dangerous and can ruin a projection surface (especially if it's one of those pull down screens). It can't get very hot.

You'll be using a Wiimote, won't you.

Originally Posted by Korittke

You'll be using a Wiimote, won't you.

Yessir. I've already gotten the actual pen part working. I'm working on a stereoscopic version of the head tracking created by the same guy (Johnny Lee) using filtered glasses and a dual red/blue image (by the way, any programmer willing to help me with this let me know! Ynot I'm sending you a PM!)