"The objective of the Transformer (TX) program is to demonstrate a one- to four-person transportation vehicle that can drive and fly, thus enabling the warfighter to avoid water, difficult terrain, and road obstructions as well as IED and ambush threats"

Sounds like something as small as a Jeep, but as easy to shoot out of the sky as a Helicopter. The Sphere goes on to recount the not-so-brief history of failed and embarrassing flying cars. We'll see what some government money does for the situation, but I think they've got it wrong: instead of making cars fly, how about they put road going wheels on jets? [Gov via Sphere, above, the Moller Flying Car]

A long time ago we heard about the UK considering testing out some non lethal directed energy gear. Basically a beam-based weapon which would cause a burning sensation to discourage a victim (or attacker), but not actually damage skin or leave burn marks. This is what the Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate, JNLWD, has been exploring since 2005. But according to project engineer Wesley Burgei, they've still got a few bugs left to work out:

"We have established the minimum irradiance to cause a sensation and have characterised where thermal injury begins," he says. "But the exact operating irradiance which balances a useful military effect with a conservative margin of safety has not been nailed down yet."

In plain words? There are some itty bitty safety issues. Thankfully those will be ironed out before the weapons ever hit the streets due to some UN protocol on blinding laser weapons. It turns out that they forbid weapons which would penetrate the retina and cause blindness. It seems odd that a beam-based weapon could affect skin without damaging eyesight, but, according to Burgei, it's entirely possible to use a "retina safe" wavelength.

It's great that safety is a priority in the design and creation of these beam-based weapons, but Steve Wright, a non lethal weapons analyst at Leeds Metropolitan University, raises an interesting point about them:

"Persuading by pain rather than brain - through conversation - has led to push-button torture in the past. If it leaves no mark on the skin how will anyone prove it's been abused?"

Tasers and the like leave evidence, marks and traces of use, but once they're within proper safety limitations, beam-based weapons like the one being built by the JNLWD won't. Not to start the "Oh, no! They'll be abused!" train, but how will we regulate them? [New Scientist]

Don't count on holding an invasion of them, though. The coil gun—which uses electromagnetic coils configured as a synchronous linear electric motor, accelerating fire metal pieces as it goes through it—needs eight seconds to have enough electric charge. And that's while plugged to the wall. With batteries, it's 90 seconds.

That said, it's quite impressive, knowing that it only took its creator, Daniel Eindhoven, 40 hours to make it. I want. [The Contaminated]

The Army began using tungsten in its weapons to replace depleted uranium, which is also allegedly (but notoriously) nasty stuff. Tungsten is used in missiles carried by drones, the Phalanx anti-missile gatling gun, anti-tank rounds and a lot more. What's crazy is that even as the Army stops using tungsten in training ammo, it's still looking at tungsten as a depleted uranium in other stuff.

On the other hand, it's not like bullets and other weapons, though they might be more advanced technological terrors, aren't designed to horrible things to human beings in the first place. [Danger Room, Image: longhorndave/Flickr]

The FIRESTRIKE(tm) laser is a line replaceable system that allows for scaling a laser weapon to desired power levels for specific warfighting applications and platforms. Northrop Grumman believes that FIRESTRIKE(tm) laser will form the backbone of future laser weapon systems.

You can put together up to eight of these to achieve the maximum power available, although that would so much electric power that the military would have to mount them in tanks. Which, mind you, I bet it's exactly what they have in mind.

This is a big leap in laser weapons because, until now, the only effective way to get laser weapons to work with enough lethal power was using chemicals. These were extremely heavy and the whole firing process extremely hazardous. The solid-state laser in Firestrike is hard and very easy to manage, as it only requires electricity and has no by-products. It's also very rugged, according to Northrop's beam-cannon chief Dan Wildt:

This is a rugged electric laser with power levels, beam quality and runtime suitable for offensive and defensive military utility. Also available is a newly designed laser current source assembly (LCSA), which is compact, and specifically developed to precisely meet FIRESTRIKE(tm)'s power needs. Combined with advanced electro optical and/or infrared sensors, the FIRESTRIKE(tm) laser can provide self-defense, precision strike and enhanced situational awareness capabilities.

The lasers don't have to run intermittently either. There's no pew pew here. Just one long buzz that will last until it runs out of energy or coolant.

FIRESTRIKE(tm) Laser Features

Power: 15kW laser
Beam Quality: Nominally 1.5 times the diffraction limit
Size: Laser head - 12" x 23" x 40" (width, depth, height), Current source - 9" x 13" x 30"
Runtime: Continuous, as long as power and coolant are provided
Instant Turn-on: Zero to full power in less than 1/2 second
Safety_ Remote operation, customer interlock access, internal safety sensors
Control: Common Command and Control (C2) systems and Ethernet interfaces Low Power Setting Provides nominally 100 watt alignment beam Weight: 400 lbs per LRU
Ruggedization: Hardened LRUs with compact SSL technology engineered for mobility and field operations

[Northrop Grumman]

[Wired]

The eye-dazzling power comes from a 70 lumen xenon bulb, which is powerful even while it's no maxablaster, while the spiky bezel is sharpened "more than ordinary crenellated bezels" for slashing and stabbing action. The spikes are retractable, so you can safely slip this into a pocket, we guess. In olive drab, for that extra "military" chic, the 4.8 oz 5-inch flashlight will give 60 minutes of continuous light from its batteries.

I've got no idea who'd carry this creepy thing around: I guess you'd have to be pretty scared indeed if something like this in your bag made you feel safer. But, if you're really into personal protection, it's available for $129. [Pentagonlight via Wired gadgets]

Jesus Diaz: Is this a real AK-47 or a replica? Where did you get it?
Donald: Oh heavens, no. It is not a real AK-47. It used to be an airsoft gun, made by CYMA I believe. It is a cheap toy that shoots little plastic projectiles at very low velocity, but it is the same size as a real rifle. And after removing the small electric gearbox and inner barrel, it's mostly hollow.

I don't recall exactly where I got it (it was on my shelf for some time from a past project) but it was from one of numerous mail-order vendors of
airsoft guns. It is available from any number of sources: a Google search for "CYMA AK-47" will turn up quite a few results, probably a bunch from
eBay, even. The going price seems to be about 30$. The real AK-47, among many other guns, is not possible to be owned by civilians due to the firearms laws here in Canada - just in case you were interested.

JD: How much did the whole project cost?
D: Including the Wiimote and cost of the AK it's probably around $80. That sounds expensive, but the Wiimote (+ the nunchuck) is the brunt of that
cost.

The AK was already on my shelf and unused from a previous project, so it was "free" in a way for me.

Not counting the Wiimote and the AK, the only cost was some time, wire, and a couple switches.

JD: How much time did it take?
D: About 10-15 hours total, including all the hemming and hawing about how what is going to fit where. This was in small batches of time over the
course of many evenings. It was a "because it's there" project.

JD: What's your tech background? I'm guessing that you must be have plenty of experience doing electronic mods, so how difficult do you
think this would be for a beginner?
D: I'm as comfortable as I'll get when it comes to working on expensive/fragile/small things. I do a lot of electronic modding and fiddling - some of it is professional development/prototype work (but unlike the Wii AK-47, that stuff isn't usually very interesting).

Electronically speaking this mod is straightforward - the only things being done are extending out the A and B buttons and the IR Camera on wires so that they can be relocated within the AK-47's plastic body. There isn't any swapping of components, or anything.

But it *does* involve desoldering a sensitive component (the camera) with lots of small pins, and then re-soldering it on the end of small wires. It's certainly possible to bugger up the Wiimote in that process.

If someone owns their own soldering station and feels comfortable tinning and soldering very small wires, and feels confident they can avoid solder bridges, they should be fine. If they even know what any of that means, they're probably be good to go!

JD: Any new Wiimote projects in sight? I have to say that the toilet plunger mode sounds amazing :-)
D: Well, once I complete a project and have it working I quickly bore of it -so it's only a matter of time before I pull the Wiimote's parts out of that AK to try something else.

I may put the Wiimote's IR camera on the brim of a hat to see what it's like to point by moving my head. My gut tells me that might not work so hot, but I'd like to try it out anyway.

[I Make Projects]

Rose Petal Cannon [Uber Review]

DIY centrifuge weapon from 1963 Popular Mechanics [The Boing, thanks Xeni]