Pentagon plans ultrasonic curtain to muffle loud tanks

Although Macroswiss' giraffe pole could certainly lend our soldiers a hand in peeking across enemy lines, someone with a good bit of execution authority would rather we take a more direct approach to encroaching on the baddies. A Pentagon-based budget layout has revealed plans for an "ultrasonic curtain" to be constructed in a presumed attempt to "significantly" muffle vehicles and loud machinery in order to get our troops closer to foes without being noticed. While the actual construction plans aren't entirely laid out, the device will purportedly use "directed ultrasound technology to enable the capability to significantly reduce sound emissions from large scale tactical military hardware," and they hope to lower noise by "at least 30-decibels" in order to allows troops to operate in close proximity to the enemy without being detected aurally. Of course, cracking trees and unforeseen sneezes could still remain a problem, but there are already plans in place to "validate the theoretical models in laboratory settings," estimate the power required to sustain such a sound shield, and to design a finished product that can cover "a truck-sized vehicle." Sadly, it doesn't seem that this project will be integrating the invisibility cloak already discovered, so a flurry of bubble boy jokes is bound to arise.

Wired]

[StevO @ Feb 28th 2007 4:02PM]

still waiting on those force-field domes a la phantom menace

[Genome @ Feb 28th 2007 4:10PM]

Wouldn't the enemy just switch to ultrasound detectors instead? Or is this just for use against "low tech" enemies?
Certain species animals can detect certain frequencies in the ultrasound wavelength.

[Oosh @ Feb 28th 2007 5:40PM]

I'm still waiting on a plot and some decent acting from The Phantom Menace.

[Alex @ Feb 28th 2007 4:07PM]

Tanks, heck. I know some people who I'd like to use this on.

[Matt B @ Feb 28th 2007 4:48PM]

If you are moving tanks on an enemy that doesn't have any radar, you already have the upper hand. I don't see sound being an issue.

[Matt @ Feb 28th 2007 4:49PM]

"enable the capability to significantly reduce "
military-speak is awesome.

[Andreas @ Feb 28th 2007 5:32PM]

The military needs to hurry up and use this so soon afterwards, regular people can make use of this technology. I wouldn't mind seeing this used with those midget-motorbikes that kids ride around in my neighborhood. Those things are loud enough to wake Lazarus back from the dead.... again.

[Pun B @ Feb 28th 2007 5:34PM]

"Are you number 6?" Looks like Rover to me: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_%28The_Prisoner%29

[sheikhness @ Feb 28th 2007 8:50PM]

ah.. burning man... how i miss being there... helll......

[Kieran Coghlan @ Mar 1st 2007 11:49AM]

Would you believe a "Cone of Silence" then?
http://www.wouldyoubelieve.com/cone.html

[Tim @ Mar 1st 2007 12:19PM]

What year at burningman was that photo taken

[Dan D @ Mar 2nd 2007 1:17AM]

Why do we strain and strive to help humans meet and defeat humans within eyesight. It would be a lot easier to calculate the size of nuclear bomb required to blow away the main target, then add 50% to make sure. Just like Nagasaki, it would put an end to all the oponents agressive behavior.