Microwave Beam Contraption Cooks Cars Until They Stop

Just yesterday in my hometown a police chase ended up killing two innocent motorists when the suspect’s car plowed into their vehicle. The debate has always been whether or not police should put the public at risk by engaging in these types of pursuits, or back down until the suspect can be safely picked up later. There are several gadgets out there that are designed to aid police in these situations, but a device that shoots a microwave beam at a car to disable it is definitely one of the most interesting.The device, designed by Eureka Aerospace, works by frying the car’s electrical system using the same kind of energy found in microwave ovens (at a different frequency). A generator amplifies the energy and directs it toward an offender via a narrow beam fired using a specially designed antenna. The higher the frequency, the more directed the beam – making it possible to aim it at vulnerable areas of a vehicle. Tests have proven that the device can disable vehicles from 3 -4.5 metres away with “no biological effects,” although current prototypes are about 150 centimetres long and 30 centermetres thick – so portability is definitely an issue. However, it may be possible to mount the device on the top of a building or a helicopter in its current form. The developers hope to make a 23 kilogram model that can disable cars from 180 metres away in the near future. [Discovery via InventorSpot]