In our continuing coverage of futuristic weapons that are making their way to "real" usage, we now have a humvee with a dish on top that shoots a beam making people FEEL like they're on fire, without anyone acutallly burning. Even through clothes!
Mark
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Kind of like the sun. Except... different.
Posted by Mikey T (Member # 144) on :
Nice to know where my tax dollars go...
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
That's a big freakin' dish. I remember hearing about this being developed a few years ago. Nice to see they're actually following through with something.
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
I have my misgivings about that thing. For one, do you think it would really stop a determined person?
The new piece of weapon technology that caught my eye was the Metal Storm projects.
The basic idea was first published in an issue of Popular Mechanics back in the mid '90's.
Posted by Daniel Butler (Member # 1689) on :
I read about it several years ago...It wasn't supposed to be 'not painful.' We're talking utter screaming thrashing Jesus God in Heaven pain. This seems like, not that bad...I mean maybe "Oh my God what is happening" but if you were expecting it and running towards the humvee with a bomb strapped to your ass...
Posted by Da_bang80 (Member # 528) on :
It's because people are too pussyfied (my word) now a days. If I were on the receiving end of an angry mod or a horde of militants, I'd want something that would drop them screaming bloody murder. Not something that gives them a light tan.
Although that thing might be pretty useful during Saskatchewan winters.
Posted by Timo (Member # 245) on :
Hey, anyone planning on using this technology against "angry mods" will be met with a proportionate response...
...of a couple of rocks thrown at that reflector. With millimeter-wavelength technology, you don't need to put big dents in it to drop the efficiency drastically. It looks like some sort of a light composite construction; probably not the easiest thing to dent, but you'd still better start firing it up long before the mob/mod reaches the 450m range.
Timo Saloniemi
Posted by Pleiades10 (Member # 1958) on :
quote:Originally posted by Aban Rune: Kind of like the sun. Except... different.
Get your sun cream on! hahah.
I suppose its good, but then there is the case of its energy expediture, there's not much point if it needs a LOT of energy, also what about the number of targets it can take at once? No good, if theres a legion of troops, but if it's wide range, then maybe it shows something.
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
Since they were able to mount it on a Humvee instead of its own specially-made generator truck, I would assume that the energy requirements aren't that great.
Posted by WizArtist II (Member # 1425) on :
I bet Hitler would have loved one...of course he WOULD have increased the wavelength to deal with the Jewish question.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
quote:Originally posted by Timo: Hey, anyone planning on using this technology against "angry mods" will be met with a proportionate response...
...of a couple of rocks thrown at that reflector. With millimeter-wavelength technology, you don't need to put big dents in it to drop the efficiency drastically. It looks like some sort of a light composite construction; probably not the easiest thing to dent, but you'd still better start firing it up long before the mob/mod reaches the 450m range.
Well, that really only places this thing in the "knock out the spotlight" category. Plus, the emitter itself is probably strengthened against rocks and possibly even small arms fire to an extent.
Mark
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
quote:Originally posted by WizArtist II: I bet Hitler would have loved one...of course he WOULD have increased the wavelength to deal with the Jewish question.
The Japanese actually had a "Death ray" program for several years that used microwave radiation as it's means of killing...supposedly it had mixed results but at least one surviving filmed test shows it cooking lab rats nicely from several feet away. Supposedly they never got around to useing it on the prisoners they had transferred to the project, but, of course, such doctmentation was lost at war's end.
It's worth noting that anything we're seeing now is old news to the governments researching such things.
Posted by Lurker Emeritus (Member # 1888) on :
How can one create the sensation of burning without actually burning the flesh? Synapses don't fire for no reason. Action potentials are not generated without a stimulus. You don't get smoke without a fire. It's public relations manure. Beaming microwaves into peoples flesh is not harmless. The various caveats such as promising to "sweep" the beam across the crowd to avoid anyone getting too much exposure is also extremely unlikely to happen in real life, especially in situations of great stress and excitement and fear. Situations, for instance, just like when a small number of uniformed men become the target of the vitriol, abuse, home made missiles and molatov cocktails of a really angry crowd! In real life the beam will be switched on, pointed at whoever threw the last stone and left there. Then moved on to the next guy who is shouting anti-American slogans and left there. Then how about that guy over there whose face you don't like?
The greatest impediment to the development and safe use of non-lethal weapons is human nature.
quote:but is said to be harmless.
Heard that before. Where was it?
Oh yes, laser rangefinders. Specifically the hand held infantry versions. Oh no, they are absolutely not intended to blind enemy troops. They're range finders. The fact that they may occassionally "dazzle" a soldier or a pilot is simply an accident. These things are in fact powerful enough to literally fry the human retina into a charred and blackened crisp. The retina literally curls like a piece of rice paper in a bunsen flame. There is no possibility of corrective surgery. You're blind. End of story.
The US with it's non-lethal weapons reminds me of... let me think, reminds me of the US and it's attitude to land mines.
quote:Manufacturers say this avoids injury, although long-term effects are not known
Therein lies the rub.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
The body feels pain when it's being damaged- that's a good indicator that long term effects will be....bad.