The personnel halting and stimulation response rifle (PHASR) is a prototype non-lethal laser dazzler developed by the US Department of Defense.

Its purpose is to temporarily disorient and blind a target.

Blinding laser weapons have been tested in the past, but were banned under the 1995 UN Protocol on Blinding Laser Weapons, which the United States acceded to on 21 January 2009. The PHASR rifle, a low-intensity laser, is not prohibited under this regulation, as the blinding effect is intended to be temporary. It also uses a two-wavelength laser

        • @SuckMyWang
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          910 months ago

          Why use a laser when they can just shoot bean bags at peoples faces and explode their eyeballs that way.

          • @[email protected]
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            10 months ago

            Hell if you can just convince a group of right-wingers that the protesters are communist crisis actors or whatever you don’t even need to bust out the riot gear, they’ll sort it out for you!

    • @FireTowerOPM
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      1810 months ago

      The National Institute of Justice recently awarded ScorpWorks $250,000 to make an advanced prototype that will add an eye-safe laser range finder into PHaSR. Systems such as PHaSR have historically been too powerful at close ranges and ineffective but eye-safe at long ranges. The next prototype is planned to include the addition of the eye-safe range finder and is planned for completion in March 2006.

      Based on the article from Defense Review and the drop off of serious articles discussing it I’m guessing that the range difficulties made this unreasonable for police applications.

      • SokathHisEyesOpen
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        10 months ago

        I’m glad they’re not effective for riot control. Using these types of weapons against civilians is dystopian.

        • @w2tpmf
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          610 months ago

          Using these types of weapons against civilians is dystopian.

          Tear gas, batons, fire hoses, pepper balls, and shotguns with bean bags are all still ok though, right?

          • @[email protected]
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            510 months ago

            That’s just horror, suspense, action, drama, etc, all fine as long as it isn’t too ‘future-y’!

    • SSTFM
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      410 months ago

      If we’re going high tech, LRAD works better on crowds.

  • @Crow
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    1110 months ago

    I always wonder why this isn’t a thing, then remember batteries.

    • @[email protected]
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      1410 months ago

      This was/is a thing, but it isn’t made to blind you permanently. It wouldn’t take too much power, really. 8 18650 batteries would probably let you just hold down the trigger for 4 hours non stop.

  • 🇰 🌀 🇱 🇦 🇳 🇦 🇰 ℹ️
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    10 months ago

    Its purpose is to temporarily disorient and blind a target.

    I can do the same thing with a laser pointer toy bought for $0.99 at a 99 Cent Store. And it even fits in a pocket without looking like a plasma cannon from Halo.

    • @ramenshaman
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      1010 months ago

      I would imagine this one has a laser that spreads out into a cone so that the operator can point it at a larger area.

    • @StorminNorman
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      910 months ago

      No you can’t. Those dollar laser pointers will permanently blind someone.

      • @FireTowerOPM
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        910 months ago

        It’d depend on the class of the laser pointer. Class 1 laser pointers would be safe to point at someone’s eyes but higher classes range from situationally harmful with prolonged exposure to instant damage.

        • @StorminNorman
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          410 months ago

          I mean, yeah. But we’re talking about a dollar store here. They literally give no shits about any of that…

  • @[email protected]
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    210 months ago

    Why is it so… bulbous? Did someone look at the tactical tuna and think “Hell yeah, turn that up to 11!”?