| In movies like "Bad Boys" and "Lethal Weapon", | | | | similar benefit - but for officers on foot. The LED |
| renegade cops commonly race through the streets | | | | Incapacitator could help officers keep weapons in |
| firing off round after round in hot pursuit of the bad | | | | their holsters. Developed in collaboration with the |
| guys - usually while simultaneously tossing off | | | | Department of Homeland Security, among others, |
| one-liners and demolishing everything in their paths. In | | | | the LED Incapacitator comes from Intelligent Optical |
| real life, such actions often have more grim and | | | | Systems Inc. (IOS) - a creator of cutting-edge |
| serious consequences. Fortunately, non-lethal | | | | technologies in optical sensing and instrumentation. |
| technologies are emerging to make apprehending | | | | Similar in appearance to a flashlight, an officer shines |
| suspects easier, and less dangerous for all involved. | | | | the device in a suspect's eyes. Using extremely |
| One example is the StarChase system, an invention | | | | bright, strobe sequences of light in different colors, |
| designed to take some of the peril out of high-speed | | | | the invention flashes in a pre-defined pattern that the |
| pursuits. In the more than 100,000 chases that take | | | | human brain cannot immediately adjust to. This |
| place in the U.S. every year, risk levels are extremely | | | | creates a "wall of light" that blinds and dizzies the |
| high - for officers, suspects, drivers and pedestrians. | | | | suspect and fogs the officer's location - giving the |
| StarChase technology helps to diminish such risks by | | | | law enforcement agent a brief window of time to |
| replacing the need for a chase with a safer way to | | | | subdue the suspect. Despite its power, the LED |
| catch suspects. The system consists of a | | | | Incapacitator does not have a high enough intensity |
| compressed-air launcher with laser targeting that | | | | to actually harm a suspect's eyes. |
| mounts inside the grille of a police car and shoots out | | | | Both the StarChase and the LED Incapacitator are |
| a homing device (containing an internal GPS receiver, | | | | garnering interest from law enforcement as the |
| transmitter and power supply). The homing device | | | | movement toward non-lethal technologies continues |
| sticks to any vehicle it hits, and sends its location to | | | | to gain momentum. The StarChaser is currently |
| dispatch. From there, a dispatcher or other trained | | | | available for police departments to purchase from |
| professional views the vehicle's real-time movements | | | | representatives throughout the United States, while |
| on a digital roadmap and develops a strategy to | | | | the LED Incapacitator is still in development with IOS. |
| intercept it. The StarChase system also automatically | | | | Unfortunately, while both inventions could potentially |
| records all data, creating a historical record of the | | | | help make real-world streets safer in the near future, |
| event. | | | | they'll probably do nothing to stop those loveable |
| While the StarChase gives police the ability to opt | | | | movie cops from obliterating entire city blocks and |
| out of a dangerous chase and still nab the suspect, | | | | mindlessly unloading their weapons on suspected |
| another new technology in the works could have a | | | | perps. |