The Incapacitator
Some light breaking news this week for all techies interested in, well… in light. Light technology has hit its stride over the last several years, with even the LED on my keychain being darn near as powerful as the four pound lantern flashlight I used to take camping with me to keep my petrifying fear of the dark at bay.
Alright, I’m not actually that scared of dark, but if I was, I’d be truly enlightened by the kind of gadgets becoming widely available today. For instance, check out the newest monster from Surefire aptly named “The Beast II.”
Considered by its maker to fit the searchlight category, this thing actually pumps out 2000 lumens. Umm… That’s a heck of lot of light folks. In fact, the output is conservatively rated at about 100+ times the output of your standard everyday flashlight.
Only one problem though… Unless you’re totally crazy or just totally loaded, at $7,000 I sincerely doubt too many of you all will be putting this gadget in your pocket anytime soon. On top of the ultra-hefty price tag, the 20 lithium batteries required to power this behemoth only last for less than a couple of hours.
This device is effectively targeted at non-consumers. So, if massive light power alone doesn’t exactly do it for you, what about the latest potential replacement for the tazer that’s getting all of the buzz today?
Have you heard of the flashlight that makes you vomit?
Yep, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has given Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc. the contract to begin building just such a weapon.
The so called “LED Incapacitator” uses the newfound favorite light emitting diode technology to blast penetrating light pulses with frequently changing wavelengths that instantly cause potential perpetrators to lose their own wavelengths, so to speak.
I’m pretty sure that a flashlight that can make you hurl is a brilliant idea. While completely incapacitating this device might be useful to slow down the bad guys (and maybe your buddies just for fun, if it ever hits the consumer market) just long enough to take control of the situation.
While the personal sized device is just right for those one-on-one confrontations, the best part is that this technology easily scales up for bigger tasks, such as riot or crowd control or perhaps even some combat type applications.
Right now, the Incapacitator is still in development and could stand to slim down a bit, but that’s also in the works. Mass availability for enforcement agencies is predicted by 2010.
So there you have it… The week in light. What’s next in LED technology?
New findings by Lightspeed Research report that 90% of the population has heard of the iPhone and 32% of non-owners want one. The launch of the iPhone could easily be the most successful product launch in history.
When I saw the picture, I just knew this had to make it onto TechBandito. If you’ve ever thought to yourself “hey, I know what I need… an 
