We created a small prototype using a bicycle wheel and 10 of 2mW laser modules in October 2010. Unfortunately the prototype was stolen and never came back.

At 9th July 2015 we decided to recreate the project. Uwe, Cersten, Micha and a couple of other Makers from our club "Digitac" helped us to create this stunning laser sculpture.

First of all you need a wheel with a ball-bearing in the middle. We used an old bicycle wheel.

Attach 10 Lasermodules equally distributed around the wheel.

Uwe prepared strong plastic plates with a hole in the middle. The laser modules where put into wooden spheres. Cable ties were used to clamp all of this together. This construction made it possible to adjust the lasers later. If you want to recreate this project better us another construction. The centrifugal forces destroy the adjustment after some time.

Connect all cables together by soldering them. Connect all red cables and all blue cables (or whichever colour the laser module cables have). We want to achieve a parallel connection of all lasers so that we can turn them on using a centrifugal switch. Solder one side of the cable to the centrifugal switch. The other side of the cable goes directly to a battery-pack wich is attached in the middle of the wheel. (We later used some self made grinding contact to be able to use external power supply).

Mount the axis of the wheel to some rig. In the first version we used a vice. Later then we used a wall mounted satellite dish stand.

Attach a bikemotor for e-bikes (which can drive the chain of the bike wheel)

Adjust the lasers.

For each laser point (which you first move to the top of the wheel) you need to follow a virtual wheel on the wall to the opposite direction. The more you move the laser to the opposite direction the more narrow the sculpture appears.

Turn on the machine. If the speed is fast enough, the centrifugal switch turns on the lasers. Use a fog machine to make it visible. Have Fun!

See the result in our price winning video at Evoke 2015:

If you like our projects and you are near Aachen (in the far west of ermany) just visit our maker space Digitac (Digitales Aachen e.V)

If you use scrap parts like the bike wheel or something similar you can build this sculpture for approx. 30-40 Euros. If you get a suitable motor for free you can build this simple structure for 20 Euros