Congratulations to the Frikkin Laser Winners!

Hackaday reports on winners of its laser contest, and the projects were remarkable. Taking first place was Jacob's CubeRaman, a Raman spectrometer that identifies materials by shining laser light at them and analyzing how the reflected light shifts wavelength based on atomic interactions. It's professional-grade science equipment that Jacob brought within reach through careful engineering and homemade precision parts. Kyle Mayer's entry was a laser rangefinder measuring extremely small distances—under one centimeter—with precision down to zero point two five micrometers, achieved nearly five thousand times per second. That performance rivals devices that typically require a quote request. Rounding out the winners was AJRussell's Glow Engine, an art project using blue laser light on phosphorescent materials to create persistent traces, similar to a cathode-ray tube display. High-quality strontium aluminate and salvaged hard-drive platters as mirrors made for a beautiful implementation. Each winner received one hundred fifty dollar DigiKey gift certificates, celebrating a community that's pushing laser applications across science, measurement, and art.

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