laser "flashlight"?

[bshanahan14rulz]

Anybody ever think of building a laser flashlight? I know, beam would be all speckly, but what would happen if you put a point-source approximation into a regular LED reflector? I assume beam brightness would be kinda funky looking, since lasers emit like, an oval or rectangle shape, but it would throw like mad, right?
I know it defeats the purpose of using a laser diode, since you can just use a collimator and have a throwmaster of sorts (that's basically what a laser is, right?)

Also, another unrelated question that just popped into my head. is there any way to add more optics to make the spot smaller than it would be with just a simple collimator?

 

[proud2deviate]

Aixiz modules allow for something similar. You can de-focus the beam and basically throw any size spot you like. I have, on occasion, projected a six-foot red dot on the neighbor's garage (about a half block away)

Edit- To address the original question of a diode inside a reflector; it might be workable, but I wouldn't think stock reflectors would do it. Current threaded lens arrangements do pretty much the same thing, with the benefit of a near infinitely adjustable beam.

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

I reckon that makes sense, why bother trying to do it with a reflector when the lens can already do it better.

 

[csshih]

http://www.lasergenetics.com/

howsabout that?

 

[bshanahan14rulz]

Wow, nifty! wonder how it would perform if it had a 200mW instead of a 30mW... Gotta look more info when my internet's better... Thanks for that find!