Inspired by a DIY lightsaber on Reddit, “Phikle” decided to create a lightsaber that can change color on command (no word on whether it’ll respond to Jedi telepathy). The futuristic weapon is made up of RGB LED stripping, three 555 timers to quickly change the lights on your command, a powerful battery, clear acrylic tubing for the blade, and PVC piping with fittings for the handle (Phikle points out that this part is going to hold the circuitry, so needs to be big).
With a bit of soldering, tinkering with circuit boards, and testing, the lightsaber is ready to go. To change the color of the lightsaber, you need to switch the trimmer potentiometer, which lives on the lightsaber’s handle.
The whole thing didn’t cost too much to build, either; for instance, the LED strip cost only $20 from eBay. Unfortunately, due to the size of the handle and all the circuitry needed to make the laser sword clone, the giant 11-volt battery has to stay on the outside of the build. This is something Phikle hopes to improve in the near future.
Still, if a color-change lightsaber can solve indecisiveness or potential fights over color choice, then it’s good enough for me. What’s your preferred lightsaber color?
[Wait What Question Mark via Hack A Day]
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