Add lasers to a tennis ball, drive your dog crazy (video)

[http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2011/11/laser-tennis-ball-1321256221.jpg](http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/14/add-lasers-to-a-tennis-ball-drive-your-dog-crazy-video/)
It's a "programmable disco ball," a "cat toy for humans," and a "personal laser light show," all rolled into one. That's how one Matt Leone describes his latest creation, aptly known as the Laser Ball. To realize his dream, Leone drilled a set of holes into a garden variety tennis ball, and inserted about 14 laser diodes, each with an attached strip of diffraction grating. Said diodes were then synced up with an Arduino-equipped Teensy microcontroller nestled within the ball, alongside a rechargeable battery. As a cherry on top of this [DIY](http://www.engadget.com/tag/DIY/) sundae, Leone then incorporated an infrared remote package from Adafruit, allowing him to remotely jump start his next house party. The result is a cyborg-like ball that makes any [LED cube](http://www.engadget.com/2011/03/21/cube-made-of-512-leds-does-3d-with-calculus-not-glasses-video/) look... square. Check it out for yourself, in the video after the break.

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Add lasers to a tennis ball, drive your dog crazy (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 14:34:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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