Paranoid about future unrest after this summer’s riots in the UK, the British went and developed a laser rifle which can project a wall of light and temporarily blind a pack of rioters.
According to the UK Register getting blasted with the Orwellian light is akin to staring at the sun.
The laser, resembling a rifle and known as an SMU 100, can dazzle and incapacitate targets up to 500m away with a wall of light up to three metres squared. It costs £25,000 and has an infrared scope to spot looters in poor visibility.
From a tech perspective, this sounds awesome. But, um, from a human perspective, this is a tool which could be potentially misused in a variety of ways. I wouldn’t be shocked if we hear about some power-crazed cop going a little too far with this thing. [The Register]
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