RGB Laser Projector Built with ESP32 — An Awesome Weekend Build
🔦 Ever seen Asteroids played on a laser projector?
[Breq] and [Mia] built an RGB laser projector powered by an ESP32-S2, and it's pretty sweet.
How It Works
It uses galvonometers (galvos) — two tiny mirrors that reflect laser beams and move fast enough that your eye sees crisp vector lines instead of moving dots.
Key specs:
- Galvos: 20,000 points/second
- RGB laser module + dichroic mirrors
- ESP32-S2 has built-in DACs for driving the galvos
- Wiimote controller for playing Asteroids on your wall!
What Can You Do With It?
🎮 Play Asteroids on any wall
🕐 Laser clock that looks amazing
📝 Display text / SVG graphics
🎵 Audio-reactive Lissajous lightshow
Is It Beginner-Friendly?
Easier than you'd think! Parts come from AliExpress — the most expensive item was the ANSI-certified safety glasses 😅
The project is super well-documented: Breq explains not just how to build it, but why each design choice was made. Perfect if you've been curious about galvo-based displays.
Bottom line: if you're looking for a different kind of ESP32 project to sink your teeth into this weekend, this is a solid starting point.
Source: Hackaday - RGB Laser Projector
