techtalk

June 2006

Checkpoint System Disables Bad Guys

Edited by Robert H. Williams

A battery operated speed bump with retractable blades — designed for military and law enforcement use — can instantly shred vehicle tires. Produced by PMG Inc. of Wheeling, W.Va., the temporary roadblock apparatus package, or TRAP, offers traffic control at a distance that, for troops in Iraq, could mean protection from car bombs.

The system also includes a road gate and a cautionary sign in the local language. Insurgents who ignore this warning have their tires punctured. Troops then have ample time to react in appropriate fashion.

Users can also select reflective gates, variable range radio control and remotely operated infrared cameras. TRAP components can operate 10,000 times on a single charge, according to a spokesman.

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