The Somehow Existing "Star Trek" Phaser Rifle

An energy powered rifle resembling the ones seen in Star Trek and Star Wars actually exist and are still in development, but they are meant to work almost as if it were a flashbang grenade. Introducing the Personnel Halter and Stimulation Response, a rifle based laser weapon that can disorient and blind someone. This non lethal weapon was designed by a research team in the Laser Division of the Air Force Research Labratory's Directed Energy Directorate at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. It can be manned by one operator and is capable of two kind of shots: one is a visible wavelength and the other is a mid infared wavelength. Back then, there were devices like PHaSR, but they were either too lethal at close range or not effective for long range. Now Scope Works is attempting to make this weapon combat effective by allowing it  to fire a safe amount of energy at a target, without" having to worry about close or long range. As for how it was all paid for, the funding came from Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate and National Institute of Justice: an organization interested in technology for military and civil law enforcement use.

From laser guided missles to laser guided bullets

Just as we thought having remote controlled sniper rifles, as seen in Shooter, were deadly enough, imagine having laser guided bullets. Yes, you heard me: laser guided bullets. A prototype self aimed bullet has been created by an American weapons-research lab in New Mexico known as Sandia National Laboratories. The rifle will have an old style smooth bore barrel so the bullet can be stabilized by four rear steerable fins which are linked to a computer chip that's connected to an optical sensor on the point of the bullet. Here's how it works: target is marked by a laser, bullet is fired, the chip utilizes its fins to adjust its trajectory while in air. However, research has found that the target must be at least half a mile or more in order for the bullet to be right on target. The farther the bullet travels, the more it has time to adjust itself, and the less "turbulence" is experienced. The amount of money it takes is unknown, but we can assume that production and materials are very expensive. Sandia, which is managed by Lockheed Martin, is attempting to conduct joint projects with other weapon research labs to bring this prototype into the military to be used.

The HULC?

Remember the scene in Elysium where Matt Damon has an exoskeleton surgically implanted? Painful isn’t it? The HULC (Human Universal Load Carrier) is a hydraulic powered exoskeleton, which enables a soldier to carry to carry up to 200 pounds of gear, even when there is very little or no battery power. All the weight being carried by the person shifts to the ground through powered titanium legs without losing any balance. This suit allows a person to move around any terrain for an extended period of time and allows you to lift, squat, and crawl. Also, an on board microcomputer ensures that the exoskeleton moves in time with the body. The best part is instead of having bolts being screwed into your skin, you just put on the exoskeleton. As for the funding, the US Army Natick Soldier Research Development and Engineering Center (NSRDEC) gave Lockheed Martin a $1.1M contract to test and evaluate the improved HULC systems. Lately Lockheed Martin has been developing HULC exoskeletons to be used for medical and industrial use.

Ray Gun A.K.A. Active Denial System

 

For all you Call of Duty fans, you may be familiar with the Ray Gun from COD World at War. There sure is one, but it isn't designed to kill people and is actually known as the Active Denial System. Instead, the Active Denial System is mounted on a truck and used mostly to dispose of crowds and/or force enemies to surrender. The way this weapon works is that it shoots an invisible beam that makes the person feel on fire and sends an unbearable high pitched sound. Defense Contractor Raytheon developed Silent Guardian, a miniature version of ADS and one was placed in the LA county jail. It's slightly less devastating, but still sends that heat wave. Yes it can be useful to dispose of a situation in a non-lethal way, but there are permanent side effects, which are cancer, cornea damage, birth defects, blistering, and scarring.

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmuyLIrSjxI