Audience scanning

[hegelstad]

Hello laserists!

I want to do audience scanning, and this is the holding point on if I will purchase a laser or not, and if I do, what make, power, divergence, optics etc.

Say I want to do scanning like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvOw...eature=related

Is it safe? How can I do it safe? Please enlighten me


Best regards,
Nikolai

[drm916]

That looks like some pretty hot beams.

Where are you located?

[Bradfo69]

Hi Nikolai,

I'm going to go on the assumption you are not in the US. The first thing you need to do is find out the legalities of doing it in your country. Then spend a few years here on PL learning a bit about lasers. While learning, begin saving money until you have enough to purchase a couple of mid level automobiles, since that's the kind of money you'll need to re-create what you see in the video. Say... a couple of Lexus's should do it. Then, go take an in depth safety course related to lasers. Start looking for a insurance company to insure you for what it is you want to do. A couple million in your currency for liability coverage should be about right. Once you finish that, you may proceed with caution and begin to think about attempting it.

Remember.... They do surgery with lasers so, shining it in unsuspecting peoples eyes is NOT something to take lightly and most professional show companies will not even consider attempting it. There is a healthy fear involved with audience scanning. I'm not saying it can't be done or, that you shouldn't pursue it. I'm just saying that it takes a lot of experience and money to reliably know how to do it and, you are knowingly doing something with an elevated risk of danger to your audience.

Here is an analogy... Say I happen to load my own shotgun shells in my basement, rather than get store bought. I set a shotgun up on a tripod and ask YOU to go down range about 180 yards (meters). I've done the math and determined that I put in just enough gun powder and lead pellets in for them to fall and land at your feet at 175 yards (meters). I want you to stand down range and let me fire the gun at you because... "it looks really cool seeing the spray come at you". Do you trust me?

[norty303]

I want to do audience scanning, and this is the holding point on if I will purchase a laser or not, and if I do, what make, power, divergence, optics etc.

Say I want to do scanning like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvOw...eature=related

Is it safe? How can I do it safe? Please enlighten me

I would say go and do a laser safety course. This will tell you 'how' to evaluate and make a show safe. It will then help to guide you towards the equipment you will need in order to do the show properly.

How much budget do you have? You need to factor in all of the control gear, power measurement gear, specific safety gear (scanfail boards, divergent lenses, etc) that are not standard fittings, the knowledge to fit the gear properly, etc, etc

This is not something you are just going to spend some money on and be able to do. You must also earn the knowledge, and that is the most hard earned in my experience.

[hegelstad]

I am situated in Norway and we have no laws for private use, I can import and use any showlaser anywhere at my own property or at a clubs property with their permission without any authorization or experience (creepy isn't it).

Looking at my situation now, I'd say I will expand my budget during next summer, as it will allow me to purchase a professional laser following international guidelines and safety requirements.

Nevertheless, at all festivals and shows I've been to the last 3 years have had some sort of visual audience scanning, seemingly by laser projection. Should they be able to scan hundreds of people safely for an extended period of time, shouldn't I, with a less powerful projecter etc.?

[norty303]

You seem to be misinformed.

1) A club (assuming you are using the word in the same context we would re: loud music, dancing, paying patrons, etc) is not a 'private' place, as it is accessible by members of the public.
2) Norway is (the last time i looked) a member of the EU, and hence the regulations set out in IEC60825 should apply, as should The Control of Artificial Optical Radiation in the Workplace 2010, which was required to be implemented by EU member states by 2010.
3) You 'should' be able to scan safely, providing you can actually calculate that it IS safe. There are many variables with laser safety, and the outright power of a beam is only a contributory variable, but certainly not the most significant one.

[colouredmirrorball]

Norway is NOT a member of the EU since they don't want to share their oil money with us poor bastards ;D
Though, following IEC60825 is a good idea.

[norty303]

My bad, I did a quick Google and found a piece about Denmark, Sweden and Norway applying for membership and sort of assumed from there...

- - - Updated - - -

In which case, go right ahead and blind those suckers!

[hybridz0rz]

You seem to be misinformed.


2) Norway is (the last time i looked) a member of the EU, and hence the regulations set out in IEC60825 should apply, as should The Control of Artificial Optical Radiation in the Workplace 2010, which was required to be implemented by EU member states by 2010.

Sorry norty, Norway is not in the EU, There is not any current regulations regarding LaserProjection devices. There are several regulations for using laserpointers and static beams in shows though.

Thats what i have been told by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Allthough its fully legal to do you shouldn't. Unless you have had several in depth courses and such you shoulnt attempt it.

EDIT: later saw you googled it. anyways ill still keep the comment just for the verification of the official radiation protection group.