A380 Tail Fin Camera / Laser
 

Lurking in the depths of this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeCYW35xDME

at 34:41 it shows the tail fin camera lens being cleaned prior to installation on the first prototype. So far so ordinary. However, I couldn't help but notice that there's a laser safety warning sticker on the electronics assembly behind the camera window.

I'm no optics expert, but last time I looked cameras didn't need a laser. So what is it for? Was it for the prototypes only? Fog / precipitation / weather detection? Wind shear detection?

Or are all A380s laser scanning the topography everywhere they fly to supplement airline revenue by selling live-ish geographical data? Airbus getting ambitious with their world domination plans, using their aircraft (fly by wire = remote controllable!) as an airborne laser menace?

Maybe that was used for boresighting on the prototype, the 380 has overlays on the video image of the main gear outline if I remember correctly...

Gent states it transmits its data via a fibre optic cable - so there's likely a laser diode emitter involved.

Correct. Very lower power. Video is transmitted via fibre using units like these :

3Gbps Video SFP Optical Transmitter for 2km Reach, SPT-P1T13V3-L02D

Agree, internal laser diode for the optical link.
If it was an external visible device it would need a class rating label on the view window.

Ah, that explains it. Thanks everyone, curiosity satisfied.

Although most fiber SFP are relatively low power they can still cause damage if care is not taken.
The power is similar to laser pointers but since it is infrared it does not evoke the immediate reaction that a pointer shined in your eye does so it is possible to get a minor retinal burm

Note: Some fiber transmitters are much higher power such as those used for 'fiber to the home' applications where the outbound (only) path is split 32 or even 64 ways.

A while back I was in a meeting where I made the comment that one way to tell if the TX diode was working was to look at the fibre; if you did not see anything it was working:E

Four out of the other 5 people in the room responded with a blank stare, the exception being a grizzled manufacturing engineer with an equally dark sense of humor.