Zapping the bad guys: Attached to the roof of this police car is a 200-pound electromagnetic system that can quickly bring an opposing vehicle to a stop. The system is six to eight feet long (antennae included) and almost three feet wide. It works by sending out pulses of microwave radiation that disable the microprocessors that control the central engine functions of a car.
Eureka Aerospace
A beam of microwave energy could stop vehicles in their tracks.
Researchers at Eureka Aerospace are turning a fictional concept from the movie 2 Fast 2 Furious into reality: they're creating an electromagnetic system that can quickly bring a vehicle to a stop. The system, which can be attached to an automobile or aircraft carrier, sends out pulses of microwave radiation to disable the microprocessors that control the central engine functions in a car. Such a device could be used by law enforcement to stop fleeing and noncooperative vehicles at security checkpoints, or as perimeter protection for military bases, communication centers, and oil platforms in the open seas.
The system has been tested on a variety of stationary vehicles and could be ready for deployment in automobiles within 18 months, says James Tatoian, the chief executive officer of Eureka Aerospace and the project's leader.
To bring an opposing vehicle to a halt, the 200-pound device is attached to the roof of a car. The car's alternator serves as the system's power source, whose direct-current (DC) power feeds into a power supply. This generates a stream of 50-nanosecond-duration pulses of energy. These pulses are amplified to 640 kilovolts using a 16-stage Marx generator.
The 640 kilovolts of DC power are then converted into microwaves using an oscillator that consists of a pair of coupled transmission lines and several spark-gap switches. Finally, a specially designed antenna beams the microwave energy toward an opposing vehicle through a part of the car, such as the windshield, window, grill, or spacing between the hood and main body, that is not made of metal. (Metal acts as a shield against microwave energy.)
The radiated microwave energy will upset or damage the vehicle's electronic systems, particularly the microprocessors that control important engine functions, such as the ignition control, the fuel injector, and the fuel-pump control. However, electronic control modules were not built into most cars until 1972, hence the system will not work on automobiles made before that year.
The concept of disabling vehicles' electronic system with microwaves was first tested in 1997 by the U.S. Army using bulky and heavy military equipment. But the Eureka Aerospace system is only six to eight feet long (antennae included) and not quite three feet wide. "It is much more efficient and compact than anything previously used in military vehicles," says Tatoian.
The device's peak power output is two gigawatts, although the average power emitted in a single shot is about 100 watts. Each radiated pulse lasts about 50 nanoseconds. All the test cars' engines were shut off using a single pulse at a distance of approximately 15 meters, making the total energy output 100 joules, says Tatoian. His company is currently developing a more compact high-power microwave pulse system with the goal of disabling engines at ranges from as far away as 200 meters.
Not only pacemakers, but computers in the neighborhood will be stopped. For protection, everything will have to be wrapped in aluminum foil, including car electronics.
Actually no. The article clearly mentions the use of "well-focused" beams. This device would not work without focusing the beams. So your assertion is incorrect.
While the current range is too short, this seems to be more of a military weapon. Get the range out to one or two kilometers and imagine what this would do to missiles and aircraft.
As a police tool, I suspect that this would depend on how well focused it is. Using it from a helicopter from above might be a way to deal with stray shot issues.
Some reader is probably already introducing this into a caper movie; the perps use it to keep the police from chasing them. In the movie version, a special noise is emitted and the cars always flip over. Die Hard 5 - and it does affect Bruce Willis' pacemaker.
Why would an aircraft carrier need microwaves to stop a car?
I guess a plane's electronics can be well fried with the microwave beam.
Mil Platforms Should Not Be Affected
For at least 20 years, mil platforms have been built to withstand EMP (electromagnetic pulse from nuclear blasts.) Aircraft are primarily fly-by-light with EMP-protected electroncis.
"Automobile or aircraft" carrier
I think this awkward phrase was intended as above, to state that the carrier can be an automobile or aircraft (e.g., police fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter).
Anybody know if telecom is hardened? There is still alot of copper going into Telco central offices. Those lines served by fiber might survive an EMP but if the beem hit a customer "drop wire" I suspect if would be possible to take down the switch. (That would be a way to shut down all burglar alarms!) For the technology to be safe maybe mutiple phased transmitters could be used. No one beam would be "hot" enough to affect most devices. Only at the focus would there be enough energy to build the EMP necessary to take out the automobile control systems.
Most engines on cars that are not new have grease and some leaking oil on the outside surfaces. If you have ever put butter or oils in the microwave, you know they get very hot very fast. Also, hope you don't have any leaks in your gas tank!
What about the occupants' safety?
If there are innocent victims in such incidents - such as hostages - how are you going to microwave the car without hurting the people?
People have glasses, various metal implants (metal plates for bone fractures, dental braces, insulin pumps, cochlear implants, or pacemakers etc.)
Jewelry, watches, the metals in some clothing (bra wire, pant zippers) will also heat up tremendously. Some batteries in portable electronics are already hot/warm as they are now - give them a microwave burst and they'll go up in flames.
It seems like a very dumb idea to use such an indiscriminate device.
Re: What about the occupants' safety?
Driver is instantly cooked!!
How do you like your meat???
OR quick cancer treatment!!!
Re: What about the occupants' safety?
Actually the heating associated with the microwave energy is a function of average power. The average power in a 50ns pulse of microwave energy isn't enough to cause any appreciable temperature rise in a person or their clothing. The radiation we're subjected to during high-altitude airplane travel (think thinner atmosphere- more UV, xray etc..) is much worse in terms of ionizing (cancer-causing) radiation than anything this would do.
how does the system not disable the police car too?
my favorite line from "Red October" - you ignorant fool, you have killed *US*
Please accept the fact that the public majority does not care about your freedom to escape from the police. If you are dumb enough to get caught then it is acceptable to us for your car's computer and your pacemaker to go up in smoke. Especially when it stops you from killing innocent families. More power to those who will enhance it to the point of "smokin'" the perps.
It was in the news few years ago about a kid who modified a microwave bulb to use in a similar fashion. The cost at that time was about 60$ for making effectively the same device. So this is "old technology repackaged and costing 1000" times more deal is it ?
Seems kind of like IPOD Vs MP3 player
Lets NOT forget using them at sea to stop the pirates that have been attacking ships off the coast of Africa.Or using it to stop a boat attacking one of our frigates.Or even hell bent on disabiling an off shore oil rig. All of those are fine uses.And as someone mentioned could it stop an incomming missle?? Better/CHEAPER than i forget the name of the ship protection that fires computer controlled rounds at incomming missles?Of coarse then ship companies will cry.
I built this device 25 years ago. My version is 100 times more lethal than what is descibed here. In the 90's we would be behind cars that were too slow. We would kill thier engine computer moduel with the flick of a switch. We would drive through supermarkets and turn the neon shopping center lights on just by driving by. Make railroad crossings go up and down. And yeah some times if we felt ballsy enough your TV went all white county wide while we drove by the Satellite transmiting anntenas at our local TV Stations. This is real dangerous stuff. I am paying the price today with my vision. These high wattage amounts can give you Cancer and Lukiemea. It basically cooks your brain and any electronic device it is used on. If you read FCC part 15 you will see that it states: This device must accept any interfernce which may cause undesirable operation. This is stamped on most all electrical home and other devices made. There is a spectrum in the air wave frequency that is the dirtiest spectrum known. Using that frequency magnifies far worse what they are talking about here. FEMA used to sell all there old transmiting equipment at auctions and thats how we got the crazy idea to do this. You can make some one blind with this kind of dangerous stuff. Same with the brain. Tap into the right frequency and down they so to sleep. If they have a pacemaker there a goner. Never mess with this stuff on your own. Back in the day you would not get caught. Today is a whole new ball game and the traces from your transmitted radiation are like a finger print long after you have left the scene /
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SirLanse
71 Comments
pacemaker
What happens to the pacemaker in the guy driving?
Does speeding become a death sentence?
And KITT had this back in 1982.
Reply
stradric
33 Comments
Re: pacemaker
Do you really think the guy making a daring getaway is going to have a pacemaker?
And it's not for speeding. That's just silly. Non-criminal people pull over. They don't need to have their car computers fried. This is obviously for those people who flee from the cops. If you're so worried about the criminals' pacemakers, then take solace that the cops will probably issue a warning before firing the device. If not, oh well.
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