What can be done from a DVD-RW drive besides a laser and a plotter?

Question

Do it yourself

I pulled out a laser diode, motors, LEDs with buttons, etc. from the DVD-box.
What else could be useful there?
UPD: I have 7 drives in stock.

Answer 1

in vain the motor was pulled out .... the most useful device from the cd-rum is the automatic rocking chair of the child.
implemented using the simplest while(1) bash script
right now I have to use improvised means to fence this, because there is no sd-rum :(

Answer 2

Tray as a stand for coffee mugs

Answer 3

I'm planning on making my own drill press. To do this, the drive will be used almost unchanged: I will attach a microdrill to the head drive, hang it on the tray drive, which will raise the drill to change the drill, and then lower it to the working position; I will use the stepper drive of the head to raise / lower the microdrill. The whole thing will be controlled by some elementary thing like STM8 and low-current H-bridges. I plan to move up and down with the help of a pedal (like a volume pedal) for 5 bucks.
Similarly, a microengraver can be assembled from two or three CDs. Well, or the same drilling machine, but automatic (it would also be interesting to do this): you give it a drl file at the input, at the output you get a printed circuit board drilled in the right places (or a piece of plastic / plywood).