Tag Archives: laser tag

Weekly Wrap Up (Week of July 15th)

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Another week is in the books, laser enthusiasts!

This week, we wrap up by taking a closer look at Laser Welding Fundamentals — with an overview of the key aspects of laser welding and current production processes, from the varying types of welds, to commonly used welding methods. Discover the elements of laser welding systems here.

We wrap up with a little chat about Laser Welding…and more.

In addition, recent reports show that Industrial Lasers are outperforming machine tools in sales growth. Despite an uncertain economy in recent years, industrial lasers have experienced notable growth. Check out the analysis of industrial laser sales and market share, in relation to current industry trends, as well as what these numbers mean for the second half of 2016 here.

While we are still years away from creating meals out of thin air, the Replicator (as seen in Star Trek) may not be as fictional as it once seemed. In this week’s Science Fiction or Science Fact, find out how the Extreme Light Infrastructure, which is expected to be able to produce small particles, in a vacuum, could make a device like the Replicator an eventual reality. Learn more here.

Registration for LIA’s Inaugural Industrial Laser Conference is now open. The conference will be held during IMTS 2016, taking place September 13th, 2016 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL. The Industrial Laser Conference is designed for industrial manufacturing professionals and will showcase the applications driving the future of manufacturing. Registration for the Industrial Laser Conference includes access to the exhibit floor on all six days of IMTS. Learn more about the conference and register to attend here.

Clark-MXR, Inc is July’s Featured Corporate Member. Clark-MXR, Inc. is an industry leader in ultrashort pulse laser-based micromachining, production of ultrafast lasers, and laser solutions for scientific and industrial applications. Learn more about the company’s rich history, from its Michigan origins in 1992 to the launch of their micromachining division, as well as the company’s active role within LIA. Read more about the company here.

In this week’s Throwback Thursday, we explored the history of Laser Tag. Rising to popularity in the 1990’s, learn about the early origins of the game, how it actually works, and what its popularity means for lasers today. Check out the post here.

New updates to OSHA requirements will give more insight into workplace accidents. The new regulations, which aim to “modernize” the incident reporting process, require reports on illness, injuries, and fatalities to be submitted digitally. This records will be available to the public via the OSHA website. The new requirements have had a mixed response with some seeing it as a way to improve safety in the workplace, through transparency. Others find the new requirements “invasive” and worry about the potential for negative press surrounding the companies involved. Learn more about the updates here.

Our Laser Accident Series features laser-related accidents that may occur if proper laser safety protocols are not met. This week’s entry features real accidents reported to OSHA (names have been changed to protect those involved) involving laser applications. Learn about what steps LIA is taking to prevent accidents like these, as well as how laser safety training impacts the likelihood of these accidents here.

LIA offers laser safety training in the classroom, online, and in some cases, on-site! Learn more about the courses available to you, as well as view a digital presentation to see if online training is right for you in our post Choose the Laser Safety Training That’s Right For You found here.

The Laser Institute of America (LIA) is the international society for laser applications and safety. Our mission is to foster lasers, laser applications, and laser safety worldwide. Join us next week as we wrap up another week of laser learning and fun. In the meantime – visit us at www.lia.org.

Throwback Thursday: Exploring the History of Laser Tag

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What a Game of Laser Tag Can Tell Us about Lasers Today 

Rising in popularity in the 1990s, the game of Laser Tag has served as a staple for kids’ birthday parties, after school recreation, and most recently, a fun team building tool for corporate and company events. While most of you who are reading this have played – you may not know that the roots of laser tag are firmly set within the United States military.

Initially developed for training purposes for the Army in the 1970s and 80s, the first “toy” version of the game was released in 1979 in the form of the Star Trek Electronic Phaser Guns Set. A few years later, George Carter III got to work designing an arena based game, like the ones still found across the country today. The first center for competitive play opened shortly after, in 1984.

Laser Tag is more advanced today than it was in the 1980s.


Laser Tag’s Evolution

Over the years, the equipment and technology used in laser tag saw many different iterations and designs. In most cases, players wear a device – usually a vest – equipped with sensors that are sensitive to infrared light. The laser “guns” emit an infrared light at a wavelength that is safe for the human eye and body. The device worn by players then responds to the contact of the light, usually by buzzing or lighting up. Often times, low-powered visible lasers are also included in the gun for visual purposes.

As laser tag grew in popularity, more and more styles of play were developed, at varying levels of complexity. Some are grandiose, “capture-the-flag games,” while others play with elimination in mind. Others involve complete “missions” that tie into a story, for a fully immersive experience. In its most evolved form, the infrared light is encoded with information such as where the beam originated from and where it was received. This helps keep score at the end of a match.

More than just a family-friendly activity, laser tag competitions have taken place worldwide for over a decade. With help from the Laser Tag Museum, the laser tag industry recently celebrated its 30th anniversary.

With new concepts for laser tag popping up in theme parks, tourist attractions, and entertainment centers to this very day, here’s looking to another 30 years of laser-centric fun.

For more fun, engaging laser history, click to read our blog on the Origin of the Word Laser.