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!
-------------------- "It speaks to some basic human needs: that there is a tomorrow, it's not all going to be over with a big splash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans." -Gene Roddenberry about Star Trek
Registered: May 1999
| IP: Logged
posted
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.
Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged
Da_bang80
A few sectors short of an Empire
Member # 528
posted
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.
-------------------- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I cannot accept. And the wisdom to hide the bodies of all the people I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
Daniel Butler
I'm a Singapore where is my boat
Member # 1689
posted
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...
Registered: Jul 2005
| IP: Logged
Da_bang80
A few sectors short of an Empire
Member # 528
posted
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.
-------------------- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I cannot accept. And the wisdom to hide the bodies of all the people I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
posted
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.
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.
-------------------- errrr...
Registered: Jan 2007
| IP: Logged
posted
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.
Registered: Jul 2002
| IP: Logged
WizArtist II
"How can you have a yellow alert in Spacedock? "
Member # 1425
posted
I bet Hitler would have loved one...of course he WOULD have increased the wavelength to deal with the Jewish question.
-------------------- There are 10 types of people in the world...those that understand Binary and those that don't.
Registered: Nov 2004
| IP: Logged
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.
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.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
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.
Registered: Jul 2006
| IP: Logged
posted
The body feels pain when it's being damaged- that's a good indicator that long term effects will be....bad.
-------------------- Justice inclines her scales so that wisdom comes at the price of suffering. -Aeschylus, Agamemnon
Registered: Aug 2002
| IP: Logged
Printer-friendly view of this topic
