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Lasers. We all like lasers. For pointing at things during presentations, to blasting things out of the water, to attaching them to sharks. But the Fabool laser cutter from Japan might even be a little unsafe for our tastes.
The self assembly kit (first sign of a problem: you’ve got to build it) costs a mere $598 online, having been developed using the ¥60,195,000 (over half a million US dollars) it earned on crowdfunding site Ready For – making it the highest funded product to date on the Japanese site.
In its release video the Fabool Laser Mini will cut and engrave paper, wood, leather, and even some tasty macarons, but stump up an extra $250 and you’ll receive a more powerful version with a 3.5W laser.
While we’re excited that hardware for making prototypes is dropping in price, we’re slightly worried about what could potentially go wrong with this (safety goggles aside), however there’s good news for Fabool fans – The Smart Laser CO2, launching this November.
A larger (yet still self-assembly) laser cutter and engraver, it uses high-power 40W CO2 laser tube, has a 60 x 44cm cutting area – and a safety case included – and is still set to cost less than $3,000.
Once you’ve factored in a smoke alarm and fire extinguisher (can’t be too careful), then you’ll be well on your way.
