Are we living in a sci-fi movie? It certainly feels like it sometimes. If you have ever dreamed of owning a real-life lightsaber, then it looks like you’re about to be in luck thanks to the engineers from the Hacksmith on YouTube.
Hacksmith Industries
If you’ve never heard of the Hacksmith channel, then you’re going to want to subscribe straight away. This team of engineers take fictional ideas from comics, movies, TV shows, and video games, and turn them into working prototypes. From Captain America’s electromagnetic shield through to the Kingsman umbrella, these guys have made some seriously cool things over the years.
The Lightsaber
However, one of the most iconic engineering feats from any movie has to be the lightsaber – and these guys have finally created a fully working one. It retracts, changes color, and even cuts through steel like it’s butter. Powered by plasma, their saber burns at an incredible 2,200°C (4,000°F) and looks just like a real lightsaber. In their YouTube video, the Hacksmith engineers show just how powerful it really is.
Protosaber
Technically, as there is no tiny infinite energy source within the handle of this lightsaber, this is a protosaber. It relies on an external power pack that shoots plasma out of the handle just like in the Star Wars movies. This technology is mainly used for glass blowing currently, so it only makes sense that a lightsaber was the next logical step. Different salts in the plasma also ensure it glows green, orange or red – so you can pick your side!
James Hobson, lead engineer on the project, admits there are very few people working on lightsaber technology right now (unfortunately) so it means this will have to fill the gap until someone comes up with something else. Potentially something a little safer, and a little less burning hot.