Security

Taser Shotgun, Robot Revealed

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So Taser International has finally unleashed its new arsenal of electricity-spewing weapons — including a wireless Taser shotgun round, a stun gun-armed robot, and a remote-controlled network of Taser sentries.

Phpfqx7t1pm Taser’s corporate site has the odd, odd Terminator-meets-claymation trailer for the stun-bot.  Pop Mech grabs some icky screenshots. Gizmodo hosts the rather creepy promotional video pushing the "XREP" 12 gauger.  Here’s the company explanation of how it works:

As the TASER XREP is deployed, a rip cord attached between the shell and the projectile activates the projectile. Once activated, the TASER XREP is “live” as it comes out of the barrel. The XREP autonomously generates incapacitating Neuro Muscular Incapacitation for 20 continuous seconds — enough time to close the distance and take the offender into custody without risking injury to officers.  ["20 seconds! Good lord, that’s a long time to be gettin’ Tasered," Giz oh-so-rightly says.]

…The nose assembly of the XREP contains 4 forward facing barbed electrodes and the collapsible electrode cowling. On impact, the forward facing barbed electrodes attach to the body of the target.

The energy from the impact breaks a series of fracture pins that release the main chassis of the XREP which remains connected to the nose by a Kevlar reinforced fiber. As the chassis falls away, 6 cholla electrodes automatically deploy. Named after the famous desert cactus, the cholla electrodes penetrate clothing to deliver the TASER XREP’s powerful NMI over a greater body mass.

Another innovative and unique feature of the XREP nose is the reflex engagement electrode. A normal reaction to the pain of a projectile impact is for the subject to grab at the impact site. If the subject tries to grab or disconnect the XREP projectile, the reflex engagement electrodes complete a circuit allowing TASER NMI to discharge from the Nose Electrodes, through the subject’s body, out to the hand that grabbed the XREP. This creates a significant spread that allows the XREP pulses to affect a large body mass, causing overpowering Neuro Muscular Incapacitation.

Yeeeeeoooowwww!!!! Like David said the other day, this "could require new tactics and maybe new laws."  And, of course, the next step is to give the robot the wireless stun gun. 

ALSO : * Wireless Taser: Whole New Kind of Weapon * Taser-Armed ‘Bot Ready to Zap Pathetic Humans * Robo-Tasers for "Pipeline" Defense * Taser-Makers Blast Back at Danger Room