About
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Laser Harp

A laser harp is basically a regular harp, BUT WITH LASERS!

Instead of plucking the strings, you block the lasers with your hand to produce the sound.

We are creating an 'Infinite Beam' laser harp, meaning there is no frame. The lasers go off into infinity.

How it works

Listed below is some information about how the Laser

Harp works!

  • Using an infrared rangefinder to determine the position of the hand
  • The position of the hand is communicated to the microprocessor
  • The CPU determines what note to play based on the signals received
  • After determining the correct note, the CPU sends the note to the speaker
  • Volume and instrument decisions are handled by the CPU
  • 8 different lasers are used for maximum visibility

Other Information

Other important information regarding the Laser Harp.

  • In order to produce visible laser beams (with smoke), relatively high powered lasers are needed
  • It is not safe to look directly into the laser beams
  • Sometimes, white gloves are used to aid in the reflection of the IR beam
  • The Laser Harp was first invented by Bernard Szajner in 1981.
  • Dumbed down versions of the Laser Harp are available. These use Arduino boards
  • While Arduino boards may be easier to use, they lack the functionality and speeds of a PIC32 microprocessor