New PHaSR developed by the USAF

[txinvestigator]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/10268690/

[Wildscar]

I knew I should have joined. That would be awsome to shoot.

[pbandjelly]

"Drat! Foiled again..."

[HankB]

Found this quote interesting:

If you have someone that’s a troublemaker and you decide to use non-lethal force on him and you use PHaSER and he pulls out a pair of laser eye protection, you’ve determined his intent.

So passive self-defense, like a pair of glorified sunglasses, is now considered to be hostile intent. Lovely.

Actually, even better than wavelength-specific glasses would be cube corner retroreflectors - something along the lines of what they put on some road signs. These will send the light right back to the source.

The device really doesn't seem to be too complex - laser dazzler, a zoom collimator (to adjust power density at the target) hooked up to a fast servo, laser rangefinder, and something to tie it all together - seems pretty straightforward. The design of the system shown looks downright asinine . . . sort of like chambering a Desert Eagle for .22 short.

[pbandjelly]

What puzzles me, is, you see this blinding light; you put on your hat and sunglasses; what is to prevent you, being a self sufficient type, to heft a nice marble-sized rock, load into the nearest rubber propulsion system (slingshot), and send blinding fury down the light bulb end of that shoulder mounted heating lamp?

[bigdook]

What puzzles me, is, you see this blinding light; you put on your hat and sunglasses; what is to prevent you, being a self sufficient type, to heft a nice marble-sized rock, load into the nearest rubber propulsion system (slingshot), and send blinding fury down the light bulb end of that shoulder mounted heating lamp?

too funny

[Fourman]

I think it would knock me down from laughing too darn hard :) It needs a Mattel sticker....

Brian

[age_ranger]

Small catch: it is possible to potentially defeat PHaSER by whipping out the too-hip-it-hurts laboratory equivalent of Ray Ban sunglasses to deflect the laser beam. PHaSER’s creators aren’t deterred.

Gee......a million dollars went into developing something that can be defeated by my kids spider man sunglasses. I wish the government would put that kind of money/energy into a national CHL. Idiots............

[Wildscar]

Small catch: it is possible to potentially defeat PHaSER by whipping out the too-hip-it-hurts laboratory equivalent of Ray Ban sunglasses to deflect the laser beam. PHaSER’s creators aren’t deterred.

Gee......a million dollars went into developing something that can be defeated by my kids spider man sunglasses. I wish the government would put that kind of money/energy into a national CHL. Idiots............

That and they actually publish the weakness with the new weapon. Not very smart.

[HankB]

Small catch: it is possible to potentially defeat PHaSER by whipping out the too-hip-it-hurts laboratory equivalent of Ray Ban sunglasses to deflect the laser beam. PHaSER’s creators aren’t deterred.

Gee......a million dollars went into developing something that can be defeated by my kids spider man sunglasses. I wish the government would put that kind of money/energy into a national CHL. Idiots............

It's actually not quite that simple. Ordinary sunglasses have a broadband absorption curve, probably with an optical density less than 2 . . . laser safety glasses have a more "tailored" absorption spectrum, and for serious use will have an optical density of 6 or more, but only over a specific wavelength range. (Density is exponential - "2" means it attenuates by a factor of 100, "6" attenuates by a factor of 1,000,000.)

I've had occasion to look directly into a low-powered HeNe using a neutral density filter of 3.0 - it was still startlingly bright, even with a 1000 attenuation factor. If the PHaSER is reasonably powerful, ordinary sunglasses will not provide all that much protection.

Note that the article also mentions that the PHaSER uses two wavelengths. This complicates - probably by deliberate intent - the problem of blocking the output.

It looks like one of those things (like tear gas) that will have some use - not a lot - against random, unorganized mobs, but will be ineffective against anyone who expects to come up against it.

[shootthesheet]

Small catch: it is possible to potentially defeat PHaSER by whipping out the too-hip-it-hurts laboratory equivalent of Ray Ban sunglasses to deflect the laser beam. PHaSER’s creators aren’t deterred.

Gee......a million dollars went into developing something that can be defeated by my kids spider man sunglasses. I wish the government would put that kind of money/energy into a national CHL. Idiots............

It's actually not quite that simple. Ordinary sunglasses have a broadband absorption curve, probably with an optical density less than 2 . . . laser safety glasses have a more "tailored" absorption spectrum, and for serious use will have an optical density of 6 or more, but only over a specific wavelength range. (Density is exponential - "2" means it attenuates by a factor of 100, "6" attenuates by a factor of 1,000,000.)

I've had occasion to look directly into a low-powered HeNe using a neutral density filter of 3.0 - it was still startlingly bright, even with a 1000 attenuation factor. If the PHaSER is reasonably powerful, ordinary sunglasses will not provide all that much protection.

Note that the article also mentions that the PHaSER uses two wavelengths. This complicates - probably by deliberate intent - the problem of blocking the output.

It looks like one of those things (like tear gas) that will have some use - not a lot - against random, unorganized mobs, but will be ineffective against anyone who expects to come up against it.

Said what??????

[flintknapper]

So far about $900,000 has gone into developing two working prototypes, said Capt. Thomas Wegner, PHaSER’s program manager

Someone needs to spend $7.99 at WalMart for a 30 gal. trash can and place that thing in it.


Sheeeeesh!

[Liberty]

I think it would knock me down from laughing too darn hard :) It needs a Mattel sticker....

Brian

Everyone was saying the same thing about the M!6 in the 60's

[Geister]

I think it would knock me down from laughing too darn hard :) It needs a Mattel sticker....

Brian

Everyone was saying the same thing about the M!6 in the 60's

Yeah but a M16 can knock you dead usually.

[Liberty]

I think it would knock me down from laughing too darn hard :) It needs a Mattel sticker....

Brian

Everyone was saying the same thing about the M!6 in the 60's

Yeah but a M16 can knock you dead usually.

Perhaps, but at the time it was doing a pretty good job of getting its keepers dead.