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Electro-pulse cannon stops cars in their tracks
Today's cars are so full of computerized electronics, one serious electromagnetic pulse could stop any car built after the mid-'70s in an instant. Canadian company Eureka Aerospace might be able to do that with its High-Powered Electromagnetic System (HPEMS). It's a suitcase-sized electromagnetic pulse (EMP) cannon that immediately disables a car or truck from 656 feet away without hurting the driver or innocent bystanders.
This EMP cannon is said to be ready for a demo next month. So far, the prototype is too unwieldy to place in a police car, but the idea is to shrink the device to the size of a handgun. That will make it easy to mount in police helicopters, cars, and military vehicles, potentially putting an end to deadly high-speed chases, and stopping suicide bombers from a safe distance.
This could be a fantastic development. We're wondering if it's possible to aim the pulse at one specific vehicle, or if all vehicles in the vicinity would be disabled. On a crowded highway, that could create a gigantic traffic snarl that would take hours to untangle.
Here's a video:
Sorry about that distorted aspect ratio — apparently someone hasn't figured out what 16:9 means yet. Someday.
Via Popsci
By whatif at 2:32 PM ON 01/22/10
I wonder what happens to pace makers? Stop the car, and the heart of the old guy in the car 10 feet away.
By dahobbit at 2:40 PM ON 01/22/10
And they don't mention it DESTROYS the electronics... not just disables, somebody should use this on the offices of the credit report companies... clean up everyones credit score...
By nicholasjh at 2:41 PM ON 01/22/10
Couldn't they just turn the car on again, or does it blow the fuses? I'd also like to know the pacemaker implecations... and that doesn't have to be in the next car over... my dad has a pacemaker and speeds all the time
By Valley Bob at 2:51 PM ON 01/22/10
"without hurting the driver or innocent bystanders"?
Have you ever been in a car going 60 that shuts off. No power steering, no power brakes, just nothing? People will get hurt.
Maybe you can argue "fewer people get hurt than letting the maniac continue to barrell through the streets of LA".
By Brass Orchid at 3:07 PM ON 01/22/10
The EMP cannon sends out a wave pulse of intense energy. This energy is absorbed by any conductive material it encounters, such as wiring or the car's body. The wave pulse is then converted by induction to an electrical pulse, similar to hitting your vehicle with a huge voltage spike by ESD, but more powerful. The delicate electronics are destroyed by the overvoltage. Fuses and resistors may also suffer failure due to the overvoltage condition, but that is unlikely with the low power of this particular device. Damage to pacemakers is only possible if they are dependent on active circuitry. Any passive circuitry device will probably survive unharmed. It is the fragile semiconductor circuit paths that are burned out by the pulse, causing shorts in the silicon based devices. It should be possible to design a similar device that will cause temporary unconsciousness over a wide area for crowd control, but that's another device for another day.
By Vrmithrax at 3:51 PM ON 01/22/10
My "impending lawsuit doom" instinct is itching like crazy with this... Somehow I think the first time they miss and hit an innocent bystander car and fry it out, the cities/counties/states will start accumulating very large car repair bills.
By ian at 4:14 PM ON 01/22/10
what if the "bad guy" in the car had one pointed at the helicopter? or even worse.. if this technology landed in the hands of the "terrorists" and was used against the military an organisation which relies heavily on electronic devices?? and if we could protect our vehicles against it then im sure some MIT student will work out a way to beat it using toothpaste and duck tape!!!...nice idea but not too practical me thinks...
By ciao at 5:21 PM ON 01/22/10
I do share the same concern with "whatif". Cars arn't the only lively aspects that run on electricity many folks may have different electric life supports, in addition to personal goods that are also electronic and to cost a whopper to purchase (in which may not be covered by it's insurance). If it is something that stops car's electronically it should be more direct, and with an electronic code. For example a non-organic_car-only remote rather than a universal remote.
By saris at 5:34 PM ON 01/22/10
Just need to install EMP sheilding on your car!
By nilus at 5:51 PM ON 01/22/10
The word of the day is Inertia. See it sounds great that you can fry a car so the engine dies, but when you do that at 60+ MPH the car is still traveling at 60 MPH or more. Sure it wont get any faster, but you just fried all the other powered components so it wont be stopping very fast(no ABS) and it will be stearing like an oil tanker.
By TyeRade at 6:54 PM ON 01/22/10
That is just silly. Electonics fail in cars today and they don't totally lose control. It is harder to control, but not to the point of being dangerous unless you are an 80 year old lady. Also, high speed chases cause more destruction and casualties than the proper use of this ever would. True, someone could get this technology, but they would alse be the same wealthy criminals who can now buy rocket launchers and semi-automatics.
By Jugornot at 7:27 PM ON 01/22/10
can anyone say 'disaster' to the first moron that 'accidentally' activates that thing inside the helicopter while pointed at the main electronics system? goodbye helicopter... you cant say accidents dont happen and this is one that is just waiting to happen
By Diesel Guy at 12:30 AM ON 01/23/10
Won't stop my 1985 Mercedes Diesel! Once the engine is started, it requires no electrics whatsoever to keep running and driving. Even the fuel pump is mechanical.
By Paul at 10:08 PM ON 01/23/10
If they can get it shrunk down and focus it properly without requiring more energy than the helicopter can store or produce then (no pun intended) more power to them. I don't see it happening though.
By djobitwan7 at 4:14 PM ON 01/24/10
Let's remember that this is only used for wreckless people in high speed car chases. Whether the crazy person has a pacemaker or not is irrelevant, they should be stopped period!
I do, however, wish to know how this would stop the car safely and if the car is only temporarily turned off. I'd hate for someone to steal my car and I would be the one to fix the vehicle. That would be too costly.
By Broken Arrow at 5:30 PM ON 01/24/10
===================================================
[] Wait till the smaller size EMP Guns are sold on EBAY, I don't want to be a SINGLE WOMAN driving at Nigt on a dark street alone.
[] Watch the movie "Broken Arrow" and you will see what EMP are capable of. It will stop an airplane and helicopter engine too.
Enjoy the future... :+\
=================================================
By lix at 10:07 PM ON 01/24/10
This technology has been around for a long time (at least the concept). The trouble is that it won't work in any kind of democracy.
There are perfect examples for both sides;
a) A speeding car in a school zone with imminent death seconds away.
b) Tumors, cancer, pace makers, innocent until proven guilty (BY A JURY) too much power in the hands of the police, who gives the OK to pull the trigger, who pays for the damages resulting from its use (tip-don't call your insurance company!).
Democracies are the best we have to work with, but when they get too big they are crippled, prone to inaction, and are super slow.
In the hands of the military it would be fine, I have fond recollections- Shut up, move on, and get a haircut! that's the society in which this device would work.
By RG at 5:53 AM ON 01/25/10
All you have to do is to build a faraday's cage within the body of the car. They are quite simple to build.
Car's already are grounded and electrically isolated from it's body in due to protection against lightning strikes.
So it should be fairly easy to make the appropriate modifications.
By JW at 2:42 PM ON 01/26/10
Use this to disable the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) / Booby Traps in Iraq and save Lives!
By docedson at 5:25 PM ON 01/26/10
Didn't K.I.T.T. use to be able to do this?
By Concerned Citizen ;-) at 12:50 PM ON 01/27/10
Well, this is brilliant. As for the person who's father has a pacemaker....this should do the trick, in keeping him a lawful citizen. Maybe they should give deep insurance discounts to owners of pacemakers since it would be against their better judgment to speed!
By udontgetit at 12:35 AM ON 01/28/10
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