A device that can stop cars and other vehicles by "killing" their engines through electromagnetic waves was presented by the British company E2V.
According to a BBC report, RF Safe-Stop uses radio frequency pulses to "confuse" a vehicle's electronic systems, thereby causing the engine to stop working.
E2V is not the only company working on this subject, as many are developing non-lethal "weapons" of this kind for the armed forces, which would neutralize vehicles whose drivers refuse to stop. There is also interest in such devices from the police.
The prototype was shown to the BBC at Throckmorton Airport in Worcestershire, with Andy Holt, a police officer, saying the device has great potential, but it is still very early days.
During the demonstration, a vehicle traveling toward the device at 24 kilometers per hour stopped working after its dashboard lights began to malfunction. Electronic devices inside the car were also affected.
https://youtu.be/yr2PWbLCyDc
As Andy Wood, product manager for the device, explains, it is a small radar transmitter. “The RF radio frequency is emitted from the unit just like a radar, it couples with the car’s wiring and this interferes and confuses the electronics, stopping the engine from functioning.”.
While some experts believe that using such a device would still not stop a car as quickly as it should, E2V argues that the risks involved in using its device are significantly lower than those of other similar systems. According to the company, the machine could also be used to neutralize boats – however, it would be ineffective against older vehicles that do not have electronic systems.
A similar device, aimed at neutralizing "suspicious" vehicles, without causing damage to them or their occupants, is being developed by an international team of researchers on behalf of NATO.
Source: naftemporiki.gr
