Taser International Inc. has released a security system that the company says is a less-lethal way to guard restricted land, protect military vehicles and capture kidnappers.
The product, called the Shockwave, is a rack with six bays that each can fire three taser cartridges, one after the other. The racks can be linked horizontally and vertically, essentially creating a wall of tasers. Twelve units can protect an area the size of a football field, according to the company.
In its current form, the system won’t fire unless a human pulls the trigger. But Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle hints that a fully autonomous version might be in the works.
“That’s pie in the sky at this point, but the device was created with a lot of futuristic ideas in mind,” he says. “That’s certainly something we’re looking at.”
Tuttle says soldiers could mount Shockwave racks on vehicles to keep potential rioters and insurgents at a safe distance — while running a low risk of killing them. “This product just hit the market, and we’ve already had a lot of interest, especially in the military,” he says.
In barricade situations, Tuttle adds, law-enforcement officers could place racks at building exits, ensuring that a criminal will be apprehended — but not killed — if the criminal tries to escape.
A single Shockwave kit would cost a federal agency $2,495, though pricing varies greatly depending on number of kits purchased.
The racks fire cartridges at a distance of up to 25 feet, and their electroshocks last five seconds.
The operator, who must be within 100 feet of the device, can reactivate the shocks if they fail to incapacitate the victim.
“With area denial, there would be warning signs saying that if you enter this area, you may come across the Shockwave,” Tuttle says. “That should be a deterrent in itself.”