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Thank you Department of Homeland Security. Disco jokes notwithstanding, it seems our friends at the DHS have been working on a new type of tactical flashlight to arm government agents with. This new, prototypical, tactical flashlight is a whole lot more than a light source; using ultra-bright LEDs, a range finder, and electronic circuitry, these flashlights can create the urge to vomit in a victim. Of course, the target needs to be looking at the flashlight to be incapacitated; if the target were to look away, the effect would wear off. Even so, try attacking an armed security guard without being able to look at him… It won’t end pretty.
The incapacitating effect occurs via bright, quick pulses of light emitted from the LEDs. The pulses are coordinated by electronic circuitry that changes the colors and exposure time of the beams, making for a visually unpleasant experience, to say the least. The pulses of light have an effect similar to having a small seizure, but the effects usually wear off in minutes. Test victims have had conditions ranging from vertigo to headaches to nausea; though the conditions usually depend on the person being incapacitated. Another thing: this flashlight cannot be used to chase someone down; it’s primary role is self-defense against potential assailants, unless, of course, they have eyes in the backs of their heads.
There has been some discussion about using lasers instead of LEDs, but the decision ultimately boiled down to safety. It’d be difficult to find an intensity and wavelength that wouldn’t cause permanent eye damage upon use, so the target’s health has also been taken into consideration. To assist the proper “dosage”, the range finder gauges the distance and adjusts the power to a level needed to start the effects, but short of doing personal damage.
Thankfully, this new, non-lethal weapon looks to be a fine addition to some already excellent technology heading out into the real world. Soon, they will find their way into the hands of police officers and border agents looking to tone down use of lethal or excessive force in riot situations, defend themselves on patrol, or distract and incapacitate criminals. I don’t know if plans are out to make a less-powerful, civilian version, but one can always hope! From the looks, it sounds like it’d be one heck of a personal defense weapon.
Pictures courtesy of: Technology Review, Dept. of Homeland Security;
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I wonder if it works on animals…like racoons.