Electomagnetic Pulse Devices to disable unshielded electronics have been shrunk to hand grenade size. Below there is also the wireless taser. If you need to stop a robot or human, then the right weapon is available.
“EMP grenade technology is out there, but I’ve never had my hands on one,” said Col. Laurie Buckhout, chief of the newly formed Electronic Warfare Division, Army Operations, Readiness and Mobilization, during a February 2009 bloggers roundtable from the Pentagon.
Hand grenade size units implies that there are larger EMP devices and High Power Microwave units.
Wireless Taser
The Taser XREP is an electrically charged dart that can be fired from up to 20 metres away with a 12-gauge shotgun. Upon impact, its barbed electrodes penetrate a victim’s skin, discharging a 20-second burst of electricity to “distract, disorient and entice the subject to grab the projectile”, says Taser.
Commercial production of the XREP is due to start later this month, with US police departments and the US military expected to be using the weapons by the end of 2009.
Brian Wang is a Futurist Thought Leader and a popular Science blogger with 1 million readers per month. His blog Nextbigfuture.com is ranked #1 Science News Blog. It covers many disruptive technology and trends including Space, Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Medicine, Anti-aging Biotechnology, and Nanotechnology.
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