High Intensity Laser with Fiber Optic Multidirectional Strobe

Current global and domestic threat environments present US military forces, law enforcement and security personnel with non-lethal crowd control challenges. During Phase I, Intelligent Optical Systems, (IOS) demonstrated the feasibility of developing a non-lethal, but powerful and flexible crowd control weapon. The proposed weapon is a portable, non-lethal, multidirectional strobe light for military and law enforcement applications. The device provides high intensity light pulses, strobing with 1.6m/Wcm2 average power density over multiple 87.5 cm spots at a distance of 1.7m. This proposed dazzling device uses a novel fiber optic scanner that sequentially produces powerful light flashes adjusted in real time to brain frequencies 7-15Hz in multiple directions, allowing the operator to control subjects by temporarily disorienting them, but not blinding them. In Phase II, IOS will develop a powerful, fully functional multidirectional light source, with adjustable safety zones, that will operate within maximum permissible exposure guidelines. IOS will further develop and optimize the prototype strobe utilizing in-house developed lasers and commercial multi-color light sources. We will evaluate the effectiveness of the strobe by conducting detailed studies of physiological and psychological effects, conduct comparative in-field tests, and pursue commercialization of the most efficient device.