Puke inducing flashlight

PhotonWrangler

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

A built-in rangefinder? "Measures distance to the nearest set of eyeballs" and adjusts... what? I don't see anything resembling a rangefinder in the photo or the block diagram, and even if there is one, the only use I can see for it would be to adjust the focus of the lens, but the lens looks like it's a fixed piece of plastic. Am I missing something?
 

LukeA

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Why did they use a showerhead? A Multi-emitter Stunner-type would be much better.

I bet one of the better modders here could build something twice as good as this thing, and do it cheaper.
 

Lightraven

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Applications for this type of device seem very limited--especially on an airplane, but also on the border.

If the light does something bizarre, strobes, has an "evil color" (is it rotten cat urine green?), or flashes "Feliz Navidad" or "Chupacabra vive!" that messes up the suspect, I suppose that adds a slight amount of value, but at the cost of the officer's ability to see clearly.

What constitutes "confronting a border jumper" is probably not what the creators imagine it to be. To "arrest people . . . without traditional weapons" also betrays basic ignorance of the purpose of force and the weapons that are carried. He says, "they don't need to know English to comply." Again, a laughable statement to any law enforcement officer who had to arrest someone who speaks only Mandarin chinese.
 

LuxLuthor

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Ahhhh....I finally found out why I find most LED's so irritating! LOL! :crackup:

Just kidding, this does sound like a great product. I achieve the same thing with my Mag Hotwires....but I also wonder what that one color is they are referring to.
 

lukevsdarth

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Ha ha I'd like to see this thing put to work first dress up the light as so it wont look like a shower head with a hundred 5mm leds. Then as stated in Threat Level the "raza" would probably wear reflective clothing. This is a good idea but I like the Tactical to Practical light cannon emits green led light for crowds. :twothumbs
 

Paul_in_Maryland

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Actually, guys, I am the writer for S&T Snapshots who wrote the original article.

There have been many criticisms on Wired and Slashdot. As Dr. Lieberman and predicted, liberals oppose nonlethal weapons that leave no ill-effects on the grounds that a rogue cop will be more likely to use it. (Hey--let's deny cops bulllet-proof vests; after all, if they know their torso is bulletproof, they'll be more likely to shoot first.) And many are stating that the LED Incapacitator can be easily defeated by closing one's eyes or wearing sunglasses.

The latter criticism mssing the point. Getting the subject to close his eyes is what we want; with his eyes closed, he's much easier to take into custody. As for the sunglasses, I doubt we're going to see nighttime border crossings featuring Men In Black.

Dr. Lieberman is aware of commercial products like the Night-Ops Gladius. But the LED Incapacitator is much more powerful, and the use of multiple colors makes a world of difference.
 
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Lightraven

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Paul,

We don't shoot the messenger. . .

Good article. I had a person come up to me at Starbucks and ask me about this device. I told him my opinion based on your article.

I'm sure Dr. Lieberman is a sincere, intelligent guy trying to help out law enforcement/security and make a few bucks at the same time. No problem with that.

However, addressing border confrontations (as opposed to other types of law enforcement, air marshal, National Guard or security interactions) requires some knowledge of how they take place and what the specific problems are.

I'm certain that most critics have no more knowledge about these realities than Dr. Lieberman--probably less. If the Doctor is able to develop this device, he may discover a constituency for it that he had not thought of. But I doubt that will include border agents, National Guard or air marshals.
 

IanH83

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Would be great for certain (few) situations where you need a means of non violent self defence against a violent attacker, but wouldn't it be kind of pointless for anything else? If you try to arrest someone (especially outdoors in the open) they will probably try to run away, with or without this thing flashing in their eyes... unless you surround them with a circle of these things what good would it do? It would have to be pretty damn bright to have much of an effect on someone facing the other way. Am I missing something?
 

IanH83

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Having said that I do believe there are some ways in which very bright flashing lights could be used tactically in the future. It is possible to literally knock someone out cold within a few seconds with the right pattern of flashing lights. You in the US probably don't have the pleasure of watching any of Derren Browns TV programmes. He is a psychological illusionist and one of his tricks involved setting up a fake photo booth and getting someone to sit in it, within a few seconds of the lights starting to flash he was out cold, they flew him a few thousand miles to another country, woke him up (still in the photo booth) and filmed him with secret cameras, to him no time had passed. (none of his tricks are "faked" - and he explains how he does a lot of them)
 

LukeA

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

Having said that I do believe there are some ways in which very bright flashing lights could be used tactically in the future. It is possible to literally knock someone out cold within a few seconds with the right pattern of flashing lights. You in the US probably don't have the pleasure of watching any of Derren Browns TV programmes. He is a psychological illusionist and one of his tricks involved setting up a fake photo booth and getting someone to sit in it, within a few seconds of the lights starting to flash he was out cold, they flew him a few thousand miles to another country, woke him up (still in the photo booth) and filmed him with secret cameras, to him no time had passed. (none of his tricks are "faked" - and he explains how he does a lot of them)

I guarantee that's on Youtube somewhere.
 

IanH83

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

And before anyone asks, it's not faked.

If you get the chance to watch any of Derren Browns programmes or buy any of his DVDs, do it, you wont regret it. The guy is simply amazing, he can literally read peoples minds (nothing mystical, all by reading eye movements and body language) and he can make you think pretty much what he wants using NLP and other psychological tricks. He once made a group of seperate, normal everyday people, one by one, commit an armed robbery of a cash delivery truck (with a fake toy gun). They thought they were doing it for real, the delivery guy was an actor. I think 4 did it and one didn't, about half an hour between each. Bit off topic I know.

He also went on a trip to the US and played with you guys a bit once :nana:

Happy viewing.
 
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Paul_in_Maryland

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PhotonWrangler

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Re: DHS LED light sabre...

But the LED Incapacitor could; muscle strength would give an assailant advantage.

I'll bet that if the LAPD had had these years ago, Rodney King might have been subdued unharmed and the whole aftermath could have been avoided.

Ok, this screams out for a passaround when it's ready... :huh:
 

PhotonBoy

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Flashlight Weapon Makes Targets Throw Up

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,292271,00.html

"It looks like a big flashlight — but it's really a nonlethal weapon designed to make you sick.

Intelligent Optical Systems, Inc., of Torrance, Calif., has been granted a contract by the Department of Homeland Security to develop what it calls the "LED Incapacitator," according to a DHS online newsletter...."

(Image hosted by imgred.com)
0_61_led_incapacitator.jpg
 
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