Handheld energy weapons

[Drashner1]

Although they apparently don't get used much, the so-called 'pain ray' weapons using sub-millimeter waves to cause pain in the target are a form of energy weapon that does exist (although not down to handheld dimensions - yet).

Todd

[stevebowers]

Active denial systems include microwave pain rays, tasers, high-pitched and subsonic sound cannons, plastic bullets and tear gas - most of these work, but can cause permanent damage or even death. For something more OA, how about an EMP attack on the target's exocortex, or a remote Rewrite attack using neoSQuID technology, affecting the biological brain directly and forcing compliance (or simply causing someone to go to sleep)..

[Rynn]

Active denial systems include microwave pain rays, tasers, high-pitched and subsonic sound cannons, plastic bullets and tear gas - most of these work, but can cause permanent damage or even death. For something more OA, how about an EMP attack on the target's exocortex, or a remote Rewrite attack using neoSQuID technology, affecting the biological brain directly and forcing compliance (or simply causing someone to go to sleep)..

Or a ufog cannon. I can't imagine much more effective at crowd control than firing thousands of cubic meters of cotton-wool like substance that restrains everyone safely.

[stevebowers]

Most of these weapons were (and still are) extensively used in the Judge Dredd strip. Riot Foam is basically specialised utility fog that allows the target to breathe, but stops them from doing almost anything else.

In OA we have mobility denial ribbon, which does something similar if used correctly.

[Rynn]

FYI in the spirit of consolidating the EG I've merged the articles "Hand-held laser weapons" and "Portable laser weapons"
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/48fddc50c8880

[Rynn]

FYI in the spirit of consolidating the EG I've merged the articles "Hand-held laser weapons" and "Portable laser weapons"
http://www.orionsarm.com/eg-article/48fddc50c8880

Looking over this article, whilst it is good, it could do with some attention. Luke went into detail over one particular design that is explicitly mid-tech thus not truly representative of the current era setting (for instance: the 1kg powerpack is explained as holding 200kj of energy. If it used a superconductive storage device instead it would have 125x as much energy for the same weight). It would be good to rewrite the article to be an overall summary of handheld laser weapons or explicitly make it about a specific design. Thoughts?

[stevebowers]

Luke's images are presumably weapons from the Interplanetary Era or the technologically equivalent part of the Early First Federation. Later weapons could take advantage of much larger power densities, but they would probably look quite different (they'd probably need large cooling fins for a start).

[Rynn]

Luke's images are presumably weapons from the Interplanetary Era or the technologically equivalent part of the Early First Federation. Later weapons could take advantage of much larger power densities, but they would probably look quite different (they'd probably need large cooling fins for a start).

As an alternative to fins: compressed air cooling. Upon firing a canister in the weapon sprays cold air over the components and out side vents. When not being fired the gun draws energy and steadily sucks in air to replenish itself. In really heavy fire-fights you could eject the empty coolant canister and replace it with a fresh one. Such a weapon might look like a cross between a video camera and a paintball gun.

Another option; I can't find a good video/giff at the moment but in the Halo video game series the Covenant energy weapons overheat when used to much. When this happens their casing opens up and high powered fans roar to life. When the temperature drops down they fold up again.

[Drashner1]

Looking at the article, Luke does actually devote a paragraph to more advanced versions of the laser weapon:

Higher-tech handheld laser models use more advanced smart matter emitters, which are almost twice as efficient at producing light. Such emitters can double the beam output for the same energy input, while at the same time vastly reducing the cooling needs (you only need to shed as heat the energy that does not go into the beam). More advanced laser weapons also have a greater flexibility in beam color, which can be adjusted along a continuum from near infrared through the entire visible range and into the near ultraviolet. Room temperature superconductor or magmatter storage loops allow hi-tech handheld lasers to store much more power; a room temperature superconductor loop typically holds 15 to 20 MJ/kg - compare this to the 0.2 MJ/kg of the ultracapacitor in the medium-tech laser described above. A magmatter loop could hold such large amounts of energy that effectively unlimited shots are possible. Of course, not everyone can make or afford a magmatter power pack, and playing with magmatter has its own dangers.

Also, based on conversations we had when he was producing these articles, the more capable superconducting power storage goes into more shots rather than more energetic beams. Also, he mentions increased efficiency in the paragraph above, which would get you more 'bang' for the same 'buck' without needing more power. There's also the issue of why more power would be needed for an anti-personnel weapon. Unless you are dealing with a larger or durable target or the like, once you have the energy to kill or incapacitate the target, adding any more is just overkill.

So, larger cooling is probably not necessary, at least for weapons designed to deal with human scale bionts.

My 2c worth,

Todd

[rom65536]

Most of these weapons were (and still are) extensively used in the Judge Dredd strip. Riot Foam is basically specialised utility fog that allows the target to breathe, but stops them from doing almost anything else.

In OA we have mobility denial ribbon, which does something similar if used correctly.

I prefer the "mobility denial system" that's basically a very slippery goo you spray on a crowd. It turns a riot into an episode of Benny Hill (just add Yakety Sax and women in their undies).