Inertial Capacitive Incapacitator

The Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking an innovative less-lethal untethered electromuscular disruptor device that is inexpensive, safe, lightweight, man portable, and easy to use to stop illegal behavior of individuals, groups, or crowds. The physical environments vary from a small room to a city street or a sports stadium. The goal is to temporarily incapacitate, confuse, delay, or restrain a person or persons when lethal force is not appropriate or the use of lethal force could cause collateral effects such as injury to bystanders, or damage to property or the environment. To meet this need, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Inertial Capacitive Incapacitator (ICI) based on a unique combination of a soft ring airfoil with a compact, thin film voltage generator. The ICI will be powered by inertial force to produce a high-voltage discharge of limited energy. The ICI device can be optimized to fit virtually any launcher. Because of the low impact momentum needed, the ICI is safe and can be launched even by a pneumatic pistol. The ICI is charged when it is fabricated, and can maintain this charge for decades. The electric energy delivered does not depend on the distance to the target. The proposed ICI avoids the drawbacks of current nonlethal munitions: it is not tethered to the launching platform, and is low-cost, lightweight, and easy to use. Commercial products will include modified nonlethal tools and weapons for law enforcement, security guards, personal self-defense, and possibly hunting. With their single stun dartless action, the novel ICI based projectiles will dramatically reduce the risk of accidental lethal injury, and can replace present nonlethal weapons. The ICI technology will replace blunt trauma with much safer electrical incapacitation.