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News Car Chase Tech That's Really Hot

Discussion in 'Article Discussion' started by GreatOldOne, 3 Feb 2005.

  1. GreatOldOne

    GreatOldOne Wannabe Martian

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    Live in LA?
    Drive a car?
    Likely to shout "You'll never take me alive, Copper!" :D

    You'll be interested on this Wired report, detailing a new microwave based technology to stop cars involved in high speed chases:

    If a Los Angeles-area scientist has his way, car chases may become as antiquated as horse-mounted cavalry.

    James Tatoian, chief executive of Eureka Aerospace in Pasadena, California, is developing a system that uses microwave energy to interfere with microchips inside cars. Once the chip is overloaded with excessive current, the car ceases to function, and will gradually decelerate on its own, he said.

    "If you put approximately 10 or 15 kilovolts per meter on a target for a few seconds, you should be able to bring it to a halt," Tatoian said.

    Most cars built in the United States since 1982 have some type of on-board microprocessor. Today, the processors are advanced enough to control functions such as fuel injection and GPS equipment.

    Eureka Aerospace's High Power Electromagnetic System consists of a series of wires arranged in a 5-foot-by-4-foot rectangular array. The interference is emitted in a conical shape outward from the device.

    Tatoian said that while he is not the first to come up with the idea of using electromagnetic interference to stop cars, he has been able to reduce the size and power consumption of such a device so that it would be much more portable.

    It is small enough such that it could be mounted onto a helicopter, or onto a law enforcement pursuit vehicle -- an application that interests the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.


    More here

    I do hope the Highway Patrol guys remeber to let the perp stand for 5 mins before putting the cuffs on. ;)
     
  2. jc.com

    jc.com What's a Dremel?

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    Brilliant. And when the baddies get one, and stop your car and mobile phone from working....?
     
  3. Froggy

    Froggy What's a Dremel?

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    Ive seen things like this on TV. Ive always been afraid that they would damage the poor car by frying the ECU. You see some nice cars in police chases :waah:
     
  4. sinizterguy

    sinizterguy Dark & Sinizter

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    Something like in the movie "Eraser"
     
  5. Lowsidex2

    Lowsidex2 Minimodder

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    I've heard talk about this long ago but yet to see it in production. Tasers for cars. About time.
     
  6. mclean007

    mclean007 Officious Bystander

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    Reminds me of Fallout - there's a poster somewhere in the game for a car which is 100% mechanical, no electronics to fry. This sort of tech would trash most modern cars by (probably permanently) disabling the ECU and effectively breaking the engine, but a good old mechanical monster without engine management, electronic fuel injection etc. would be untouched.
     
  7. scotty6435

    scotty6435 What's a Dremel?

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    I remember seeing a cooool device that was like a small sled hung under the cop car. When they wanted to stop the car, it would fire out from the underside and under the chased car with some rockets. When it was under the car electrodes popped up and fired a few thousand volts, frying the engine management chip :)

    The demos were well impressive!
     
  8. Fly

    Fly inter arma silent leges

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    Pacemakers? Surely that would stop one of those too?
     
  9. sadffffff

    sadffffff Minimodder

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    well this is downright horrible. these things will get abused i guarentee, many US cops think theyre cowboys. also when these things get in the hands of prankster kids, people driving on the road with a bit of road rage, or criminals themselves (will be able to stop cop cars), oh this could turn out be just lovely. oor when poeple make shields for their car's computer from these things...
     
  10. PilchY

    PilchY Minimodder

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    Yea... and also things like traction control....

    But they what about something like a tank... knowing what the american police chases are like!
     
  11. Leeum

    Leeum What's a Dremel?

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    Most likely, ouch :eek: It'll never come off, microwave radiation kills, i daresay the person driving will be badly affected by it.
     
  12. eddie_dane

    eddie_dane Used to mod pc's now I mod houses

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    eddie_dane sneaks into police garage and installs all the microwave emmiters in the police cars in backwards and then pops the clutch and tells the world to eat his dust. **cut scene to cops in middle of road shaking their fists in the air after their own device rendered their cars undrivable, one mutters under his breath "I can't stay mad at him, he's one hell of a driver, let's go get some doughnuts"
     
  13. Totem

    Totem What's a Dremel?

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    Whats wrong with the spikes that go on the road (cant remember name) or just fire at the tires?
     
  14. PilchY

    PilchY Minimodder

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    Stingers are ok... but you can still kinda drive with flat tyres although go outta control.... the shooting tyres out are also a similar position...
     
  15. Totem

    Totem What's a Dremel?

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    Bring in johnny cabs from total recal, that would sort everything out :D
     
  16. scotty6435

    scotty6435 What's a Dremel?

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    It takes high power and high frequency microwave radiation to cause harm to a person. Electronic chips are very suseptable not because they heat up but because a significant charge is generated, burning it out.

    Pacemakers aren't affected by the old system as the pulse only lasts milliseconds - just long enough to short the chips. The new system would most likely not affect it but I couldn't say for sure. Pacemakers are very resistant to EMI and wouldn't bat an eyelid to the first (I program and troubleshoot them for a living :D ).

    I think this new technology is fantastic. Obviously it would cut out all electrical systems but they wouldn't use it, say just before a hairpin turn. It'll be used in the same situations as boxing in or shooting out tyres - on long straight stretches of road.
     
  17. Nezuji

    Nezuji What's a Dremel?

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    Simple replacement mechanical computers or old cars for bad guys, plus a new toy for carjackers to use.

    Yay.

    Well, it's pretty much out there already, so you may as well sell it to the cops so they can get some legitimate use out of it for a little while at least.

    Nezuji :)
     
  18. Yo-DUH_87

    Yo-DUH_87 Who you calling tiny?

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    Good to know my truck would stand a chance :thumb:

    /me doesn't think they'd be trying to stop a truck that makes very loud and strange noises around 70mph... :hehe:
     
  19. mobius9

    mobius9 Minimodder

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    also with the spike strips, some civilian cars now have back up systems for getting a flat tire. I think michelin made them.
     
  20. empyrean

    empyrean What's a Dremel?

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    Backup systems as well as new, alternative tire technology... solid urethane (no air) tires are on the market, as well as a hollow spoked "track" tire... think round segmented tank track looking things, on support spokes.

    New technologies demand new solutions! Not to mention, spike strips and the like are very hard to use in Southern California simply because... during most hours, it's next to impossible to find a long, straight, empty-enough strip of road. Worst traffic congestion in the country!
     
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