US firm says handheld puke ray is ready to go

[Eugen Leitl]

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/06/01/laser_energetics_puke_ray/

US firm says handheld puke ray is ready to go

Pistol style chunder-gat and torch/vom-sabre models

By Lewis Page b" Get more from this author

Posted in Biology, 1st June 2009 11:39 GMT

A US industrial laser company says it has developed a functional puke-ray
system, ideal for use by cops or military personnel wishing to take down
their opponents without shooting them. The firm proposes to issue the "non
lethal light fighting technology" in two form factors - light-sabre/torch and
blaster-pistol.

The so-called Dazer Laserb" technology comes from Laser Energetics Inc, of New
Jersey, which has been supplying more conventional laser equipment since
1991. Now, however, the company is pleased to announce its new Defenderb" and
Guardianb" chunder-beam weapons.

According to Laser Energetics' statement:

    These non-lethal weapons have the ability to control the threat at ranges
of 1 meter to 2400 meters (model dependent). The Dazer Laserb" - Light
Fighting Technologies - emit a green beye safeb laser beam, that is shaped
into approximately a 1 foot to 8 foot Dazer Zoneb" (model dependent) which
when focused on the threats eyes, the threats vision is temporarily impaired,
their balance is effected, and they become affected by nausea. This controls
the threat making it difficult for them to manoeuver. The Ultimate Non b
Lethal Weapon.

"This life saving non-lethal weapon will help all branches of the military,
law enforcement, correctional facilities, security, border patrol, piracy
control, homeland security, airport security and much more," says Laser
Energetics CEO Robert Battis.

Battis says that his regurge-ray weapons are better than the well-known Taser
electrojolt stungun as they have a longer effective range and aren't
single-shot. If an embattled cop, soldier etc. misses the target at first he
can simply swing the dazzle-beam onto his opponent's face and leave him
slipping and stumbling helplessly in a self-generated chunky puddle.

The Defenderb" is the ray-pistol model, perhaps effective to 2400m; the
Guardianb" is the cylindrical job which emits its belly-scrambling dazer rays
from one end like a torch. The Guardianb" will work out to 100m, according to
the Laser Energetics pdf brochure. Both models also have a "searchlight"
illumination mode - presumably without the nauseating special sauce. There's
no word yet on price.

It seems that there may be countermeasures that would have some effect
against Dazerb"-toting government goons. The company specifies that both
models "can control the threat with the threat's eyes shut, making it
difficult for them to manoeuvre". No mention is made of tactical
possibilities involving mirrors, reflective sunglasses etc.

One question does spring to mind here. Do the rival puke-ray programmes at
the Department of Homeland Security and the US Navy know about this?