Homeland Security's latest non-lethal weapon: the pukelight
By Nilay Patel 
posted Aug 7th 2007 7:31AM
posted Aug 7th 2007 7:31AM
Someone in Homeland Security's R&D department must have a sense of humor, because the agency is hoping to soon deploy an LED flashlight that causes uncontrollable vomiting. The light, which is being developed for DHS at Intelligent Optical Systems, first shines a high-intensity beam to stun the target and then begins flashing a series of pulses that change color and duration -- inducing "psychophysical" effects that that include nausea, vertigo, and vomiting. While the concept isn't that far-fetched -- similar symptoms have been seen in helicopter pilots affected by sunlight strobing through spinning blades -- you've got to wonder how many thousands of dollars have been spent developing a weapon that can be defeated by simply looking away.[Via ABC News]
Hey, as long as it's not a recorder used to create the "brown note", I'm all for it.
different from going to raves how? :)
Victims aren't also abusing MDMA.
It's useless as a weapon, since you can look away, but it's a very useful torture instrument (no traces), and that's sadly what the land of the free will probably use it for.
And closing your eyes or looking away from your enemy makes you less vulnerable how?
I wouldn't say it is useless. Try and shoot me with your eyes closed or while looking away; unless you are Chuck Norris I have an advantage. I wonder what the effective exposure time for symptom display is? Granted the idea is supposed to be nonlethal, but if in military I don't see myself putting aside my AK for a flashlight; secondary add on with trigger sensitivity activation? Difficult to scope target that is blinding you with vomit inducing light.
this somehow reminds me of the sick sticks they used in minority report... coincidence? i think not.
This should work nicely in a bar or club... Combined with strobe lights it should be of some entertainment value.
You laugh now.
Wait until it's a mandatory installation on the inside of your eyelids.
Won't this only work at night ?
What if someone is wearing sunglasses ?
What if someone isn't wearing any glasses but has a minor vision impairment ?
What about those people suseptible to seizures caused by strobe lights ?
I see nothing good from this_ I see lawsuits just waiting for a case_
Well, if your subject looks away, it would always make a handy club.
Just watch those terrorists crap their pants when a SWAT squad armed with glowsticks and Vicks Vapo-Rub busts down their door.
I have no problem giving Jack Bauer a new flashlight.
You can immobilize their head, and use little pincers to keep their
eyes open. This is sounding so exciting.
Personally, I find this idea sickening.
But then, that's entirely the point, eh?
were you trying to be punny? cause that was a good one... sickening.... haha
What a wretched idea.
could be fun for home security systems ... or peeking neighbours :P
Look. See, this is why DARPA doesn't tell you what projects they're working on. Thanks Engadget, you just gave away how to thwart the Pentagon's latest superweapon to the terrorists. Well, at least when the next terrorist act happens, we'll know to blame DARPA and Engadget as the conspirators!
HEY YOU!
LOOK OVER HERE!
AWWW C'MON, LOOOK!!
What happens when someone with epilepsy gets hit with this?
They might bruise.
He shit his pants?
An epileptic seizure is far from lethal.
Actually, there's a mortality rate of about 1% associated with typical seizures (usually choking or falls leading to concussions); status epilepticus has a mortality rate of >20% (more if it lasts >1h).
You get appointed Commander in Chief of the Supreme Court
Is this anything like the gay bomb?
As someone that suffers from vertigo frequently, just reading the details made my stomach ache. Good for them and pushing non-lethal weapon development.
Hey that was a GOOD movie!
Flashing lights can cause seizures in epileptic folks.... does anyone else see this as potential deadly?
If nothing else it's cruel and inhumane...
You're right. Rubber bullets and tasers are way better.
Typically if the user is justified in deploying this 'flashlight' for it's intened purpose, then someone whom has a seizure should have probably considered what they were doing to put hemselves into this situation. It's not like they will be walking around aimlessly shining it at people. Frankly, if they deserve it, who cares?
@ Iafin:
Heh. It's funny, cuz they said the same thing about tasers. And oh wat do u know? we got law inforcement officers tasing (is that a word?) young children with some even being killed as a result!
More importantly, as a person who has completed CQC training, u'd b surprised how often you hear of stories of people getting wrongfully accused and being subjected to unnecessary conduct by an officer who IS supposed to be held to a higher standard due to their responsibility of making decisions like this.
Sorry to go off topic, but I just don't see how two officers can justify the use of a taser on a 6 year old. Its hard to believe that two officers could not tame a child. And now we're going to put vomit inducing flash lights at their disposal as well...
I imagine all bad guys will be wearing shades from now on
Aren't they already?
They'll just make sunglasses illegal, and anyone in law enforcement will be required to be issued licenses for their raybans from now on. That way, if you're wearing sunglasses without the required permits, you're obviously trying to not be apprehended, so you're guilty of something, opening yourself up to all sorts of search and seizure.
Finally, years of spending all our money on defense, and almost none on education has led to the golden age of excrement weapons!
I'm sure there's a darkened room somewhere where someone is busy working on the new boxing-gloves on springs in boxes.
"...and almost none on education..."
So, $60B+ per year, at the federal level alone, is "almost none" now?
Sure, you or I could get smart for $60B, but when compared with the $500B+ spent on defense, you can see where our priorities are. Or you could think of it this way, $60B/how many kids in public school = decent vs. $500B/how many oil and warfare execs profit = indecent.
You get appointed Commander in Chief of the Supreme Court
In helicopter flight school my classmate got vertigo from the sunlight flickering off the dashboard. He fixated on the flickering light and started a slow turning descent to the ground. Luckily the instructor took the controls as we passed below 100 feet.
It may not be that easy to just look away.
Wouldn't this kind of back fire when the guy you're chasing pukes all over you? Something tells me this is gonna be a lot worse for the people wielding these things.
Blind ninjas will save us.
Who's gonna volunteer to test it..... It's not like everyone is gonna be like "HEY I VOLUNTEER!!! TRY IT OUT ON ME!!! IT"S BEEN WAY TO LONG SINCE I PUKED VIOLENTLY AND WENT INTO UNCONTROLLABLE SEIZURES!!!"
I volunteer that Brad Stone guy who outed Fake Steve Jobs, he deserves it.
What about mirrors? Wouldn't this weapon backfire? All those makeup mirrors women carry might finally have some use for us males.
I believe the weapon could work. It sounds like how I felt watching the Transformers movie sitting too close to the screen.
What if the enemy is wearing mirrored sunglasses?
I already had to puke while looking at this POS flashlight. Another job well done DARPA.
It's nice to see how they continue to develop "non-lethal" weapons. What they really are is weapons of control. You can't kill everyone and have a working country--but if you want to get people in line, then just shoot some rubber bullets at them or gas them or put a puke-light in their face until they go away and get back to ranting on their useless blogs. Control. That's what this technology is about.
These "non-lethals" are used to turn citizens into subjects. Rubber bullets are rubber encased steel bullets that can kill. They like non-lethals because then they can use them.
This weapon Rocks. Think about it, instead of beaming protesters they can actually make them puke. Though this is dangerous in the wrong hand, cause if the other side get it, military speeding may go even higher cause soldiers losing their lunches.