LaserSaber may not be a real lightsaber, but it sure looks like one

I doubt there are many Star wars fans out there who haven't, at one time or another, fantasized about owning a lightsaber. These are the weapons favored by Jedi and Sith, resembling a sword but with a blade formed of colored light. To have one at your disposal is the dream of geeks everywhere; a dream that has just edged closer to becoming a reality.

Wicked Lasers LaserSaber is designed to complement the company's Spyder 3 lasers. The S3 lasers are so powerful that the top-of-the-range Krypton model is claimed to have a range of 85 miles (137 km) and with a projected dot shining 8,000 times brighter than the sun it's no wonder these come with safety goggles as standard. The 32-inch long LaserSaber "blade" is made from thick-walled polycarbonate 1/8 of an inch thick and the hilt is made from anodized T6061 aircraft-grade aluminum. The LaserSaber screws directly onto the S3 laser, the two together creating what looks remarkably like a real lightsaber ... if such a thing existed. The most striking effect of the LaserSaber is the way in which the blade appears to sheath and unsheathe itself. This is made possible by an optical element that distributes the light along the blade working in conjunction with a "magnetic gravity system" - a metal sphere suspended inside the diffuser tube that's magnetically locked into place at the tip until a decent bump dislodges it.

Not A Toy In a society in which fast food chains can be sued over the heat of their coffee, there's clearly potential here for legal issues. Wicked Lasers makes it clear that the LaserSaber is not a toy and insists one should only be "operated in a controlled environment by professionals" - although the impressive video below is designed clearly to appeal to more than just stuntmen. The LaserSaber doesn't seem to have any practical uses, but then I guess that isn't the point. It has been created to look as close to the "real thing" as possible and there's bound to be demand for that reason alone. In terms of using the LaserSaber - if you stand still while wearing protective goggles and looking cool then no harm done, but clearly a duel isn't recommended. The LaserSaber costs US$99, but needs to be teamed with a Spyder 3 laser (priced between $289.95 and $969.95).