Pat Dollard

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It goes without saying that this product is not safe for children

With recent advances in lasers, many have fantasized about creating “real life lightsabers”. Many military commanders have fantasized about creating portable blasters along the lines of those portrayed in fictional workers like Star Trek and Star Wars. The Spyder III Pro Arctic laser from WickedLasers can be seen perhaps as the culmination of those efforts and perhaps the first consumer laser weapon.

The laser is built with a diode from Casio’s new mercury-free Green Slim projectors which ironically have a somewhat blue tint. The laser is rated at 1 watt of power and retails for a mere $200 USD.

( Right: The product comes with a warning that the weapons-grade laser can burn and/or blind people or animals. [Source: WickedLasers])

And here’s the best (or worst) part — it can set people (or things) on fire. Apparently the laser is so high powered that shining it on fleshy parts will cause them to burst into flames. Of course it’s equally capable of blinding people. The retailer warns:

Warning: Extremely dangerous is an understatement to the power of 1W of laser power. It will blind permanently and instantly and set fire quickly to skin and other body parts, use with extreme caution and only when using the included eye protection. Customers will be required to completely read and agree to our Class IV Laser Hazard Acknowledgment Form.

If you’re willing to “sign the form”, WickedLasers warns you “With greater power comes the need for greater responsibility.” (We can’t make this stuff up, really!)

The laser comes in sleek packaging that looks, unsurprisingly like a lightsaber. Hopefully its users follow the path of the light side. The last thing we need is a bunch of Sith running around.

The price of $200 is quite commendable, considering it’s 20 times as powerful as the company’s previous best model, “Sonar”, while a mere tenth of the cost (“Sonar” sells for $2,000 — we imagine it will be discontinued as it seems most customers will flock to the Spyder III). The product even comes with a free pair of safety glasses, so you don’t accidentally blind yourself.

Obviously it goes without saying that this is not a product to leave around kids. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.