LaserSkater

The LaserSkater is a benchtop linear laser position sensor. Aim a visible laser pointer at its measurement track and it tells you, in real time, where along that track the spot is striking — down to a fraction of a millimeter. No optical bench, no software to babysit, no calibration ritual before every reading. Power it on, aim, and read the number.

It was built to answer a deceptively simple question — where is the beam right now? — with an instrument that's precise enough to trust and simple enough to actually use.

Key Features
Three- or four-column feature grid. Each feature gets a short bold title + one or two sentences. Use a small red beam/dot icon on each.
Sub-millimeter precision Reads laser-spot position to better than 1 mm across the full track, with the underlying sensor pushing into the tens-of-micrometers range at higher resolutions.
200 mm+ of live travel A full linear measurement span with continuous readout — not a handful of fixed points, but every position along the axis.
Instant digital readout Position appears in millimeters on a clear LCD the moment the beam lands. No host computer required for a reading.
Centroid-accurate Instead of reporting the brightest single pixel, the LaserSkater computes the weighted center of the spot — so a slightly fuzzy or oversized beam still resolves to one honest position.
Re-baseline in one press A dedicated baseline capture cancels ambient light and sensor drift, so a change in room lighting doesn't fake a reading.
Built on proven hardware A Teensy microcontroller drives the sensor and does the math; an Arduino handles the display. Open, understandable, repairable.