International
Safer days ahead? Boeing to deploy ‘star wars’ tech
Remember Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace? And the force field in the Battle of Naboo which bounces off attacks on the earth?
Well, Boeing, the aircraft and defense company has taken a cue from the science fiction film with its plan to develop a Star Wars-style force field that would use energy to deflect any potential damage.
Just like the luminescent shields seen in the film, Boeing’s “Method and system for shock wave attenuation via electromagnetic arc” could provide a real-life layer of protection from nearby impacts to targets.
The downside: It won’t protect from direct hits.
The system can sense when a shock wave generating explosion occurs near a target. An arc generator then determines the small area where protection is needed from the shock waves.
It then springs into action by emitting laser pulses that ionize the air, providing a laser-induced plasma field of protection from the shock waves.
While Boeing may been granted the patent, it’s unclear how long it will be before the company deploys the real-life force fields.
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