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New Real Life Laser-Rifle Cuts Through Metal Like a Blowtorch
dryriver writes "We've seen real laser guns before pulling off tricks like starting small fires, or popping black balloons. That's cool, sure, but it's got nothing—on this handheld laser rifle. Developed by TWI this laser-cutter was initially designed for use by robots, but a few recent tweaks including a pistol-grip and a trigger made it into a human-sized rifle. It is designed specifically with nuclear decommission in mind, specifically chopping up huge pieces of metal infrastructure into bite-sized bits that are easily disposed of. And while it's definitely suited for that, it has some short-comings compared typical rifles. That range is pretty low, for instance, and it's not exactly mobile."
WE don't have high energy portable power sources.
We really need to figure out an iron many style reactor to power the next generation of cool toys that we can dream but not really use.
i thought once I was found, but it was only a dream.
...but truck-sized power supply. Just in case the Space Patrol thinks this is Star Trek. Plus, the atmosphere is a great shield; a 1$ bullet has more lethal range...
"Phased-plasma pulse rifle in 40-watt range".
If only...
"designed specifically with nuclear decommission in mind, specifically chopping up huge pieces of metal infrastructure into bite-sized bits", which it vaporizes and then throws all over the operator (photo in TFA).
Note to self: do not apply for that kind of work, no matter what the rate.
"Cock Up Your Beaver" does not mean what you think. This sig is intended to clog filters and annoy do-gooders
I do need (semi) portability, as long as it's good for line-of-sight use on pigeons.
Lacking <sarcasm> tags,
I find it hard to call this a "laser rifle." Aside fromt he fact that rifles are rifles because of the rifling in the barrel (grooves which cause the bullet to spin), Rifles have a medium to long range. This appears to have only a slightly greater effective range then my Oxy-Fuel torch (which is to say, less then a foot).
A solution to deal with all those Sectoids infesting rural plots in middle America!
The only one I can see is that it works from a couple inches away, and doesn't need an electrical ground return connection to the workpiece.
Other than that, a plasma cutter is cheaper, less hazardous, and can cut thicker materials.
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and I was. As an expert on laser ablation, I knew full well that it is highly unlikely that a laser system capable of ablating metal (which is still much much much easier than ablating quartz) could be made in the size of a rifle. But I clicked anyway, and what did I see? An optical cable attached to a hand-held lensing system.
Meh...
When can I print one?
“He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
I for one wel--- BZZZZZAP
The reactor would have ended war.
Nonsense. People simply aren't that evolved. If we aren't fighting about energy we'll fight about something even more absurd like skin color or which imaginary invisible man in the sky we should all believe in.
Introducing the new Ginsu 3000W, it can slice a watermelon AND cut a tomato with grace and ease!*
*not dishwasher safe
Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
You know, with a mirror like finish?
Looks like it uses a gas stream as a laser waveguide... Perhaps a noble gas, like Argon. That would account why there appears to be a force upon the melted debris.
No sig. Move along - nothing to see here.
A blowtorch can't cut metal. Maybe they mean cutting torches?
Clickety Click
I want one!!!
Apparently I already have a plasma rifle in my garage! It shoots plasma and cuts metal with it - and just like this laser rifle, it requires compressed air and a remote power supply connected by an umbilical. I also have a MOLTEN METAL WELDING RIFLE! Similarly, it requires a power supply and umbilical assembly. Strangely, none of my actual rifles need cables or power supplies attached to them in order to operate.
I am a geek attorney, but not your geek attorney unless you've already retained me. This is not legal advice.
Pew pew pew!
My high school drafting teacher (waay back in the 1980s) told us about operating a prototype backpack-mounted laser weapon that could easily cut through solid metal doors, when he was in the Army. I always just assumed he was a little eccentric. But he also told us about participating in the mock invasion and takeover of an entire civilian town somewhere down south, and that turned out to be real. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvKc-d4hUek. So who knows.
it's slower than a reciprocating saw...
Hand aimed would be more accurate. The harness is bit of a giveaway. I wonder what that piping attaches to. Nice toy though
Atomic hydrogen torches have been around since the 1940s... here's a GE training film about them. They produce insane amounts of heat and a reducing atmosphere, perfect for cutting almost anything.
Send in Giant Robot armed with this to neutralize the place
Seriously, about time the stuff there was made sub critical. We can't keep cooling it forever.
Reality catches up to science fiction... the Thunderbirds episode 'PATH OF DESTRUCTION' had International Rescue using handheld laser cutters to cut into the cabin of the mighty Crablogger. That was back in 1965.
This may be a naive question, but why do the sparks blow off away from the gun? Is there also a stream of air from the gun specifically to do this? Or is it just how the physics works when the laser hits the metal?
systemd is Roko's Basilisk.
Sorry, but this is NOT a laser cutter. This device uses a high-oxygen-content gas stream supplied at very high velocity to facilitate the natural oxidation (i.e. burning) of the material. The laser is only used as an pre-heat/ignition device. The principle is not much different from an oxygen torch, only with a different source of heat.
This high-velocity stream is exactly why the sparks fly away from the gun. And it is also the reason the gun has to be held close to the object being cut.
I've always wondered why a chem laser system isn't used. Each cartridge would contain the chems.. sure, it would need expensive amo, but it's a start.
But as far as for warfare, I think we should go back to single load non-rifled muskets, knives, and wind power on ocean only for war ships. Make war like it should be - face to face and increatable hardships before you even enter battle. Demand absolute best medical care free of charge for the rest of their lives to anyone injured. On societies tab. I'm talking daily massages if it helps - kind of support and coverage.
Then, make only those who have a personal stake in the specific issue. And conscript women.. if it's important enough to kill off young men but not young women? Why, today, do you feel they need, want, or require special care.. send your daughters off to die when you send your sons.
That will fix it!
You cannot see bullets.
The sound of the laser hitting something (something getting hot very fast will not disintegrate silently) might give the same effect.
Adding a little bit of smoke would give a very big light effect, with the disatvantage of giving your position away.
But as said before, the main problem now is getting enough concentrated enery in a small and safe package.
A blow torch is a hand held fuel fired heat gun. The air supply is from ambient air.
You are probably thinking of an oxy-acetylene cutting torch which uses acetylene and oxygen to heat the metal then a blast of high pressure oxygen to burn and blow the metal away. A propane blow torch runs around 2000C, an oxy-propane torch runs around 2500C anf an oxy-acetylene torch runs around 3500C.
Guns are so fucking cool, right? Let's keep salivating over them in all their forms.
Technology assholes.
There is several problem that I could see from this laser cutter repurposed as a weapon 1. The laser output seems to be collimated pretty badly. However, it seems to be intentional because the source from TFA youtube : http://www.twi.co.uk/news-events/case-studies/the-laser-alternative-to-nuclear-decommissioning-479/ designed the laser head to do single sided laser cutting, which means limiting its power over range 2, Is it even possible to fit a cutting laser tube at that head? There is a possibility that the beam generator is located somewhere else and the beam itself are transferred using fiber optic cable However, there is one glaring mistake for this to become a weapon, which is: 3. Why they hang their laser head?! Seeing the person holding the laser cutting head like a rifle is cool enough, until you see that there is a cable attached to it to help hang it...... They should try to hold the head freely without any support
How about shark-user-friendliness?