Anti-Terrorism - Detection, Indications, and Warnings

Our Phase 2 effort will focus on the development, prototyping, and testing of two non-lethal vehicle barriers: a permanently anchored crossbeam type and a low cost, man-portable, field expedient type. Additionally, we will develop and field test a non-lethal, microwave vehicle arrestor that disables or destroys the encroaching vehicle’s electrical system. Our Phase 2 Base effort will focus on the development and prototyping of both non-lethal barriers and the microwave vehicle arrestor. In Option A, we will test the microwave vehicle arrestor by using it against selected vehicles in a laboratory setting. Option B will involve integrating the vehicle arrestor into an underground housing and interfacing it to the non-lethal cross-beam vehicle barrier and its incident detection and triggering system. Option C will involve field tests of the integrated system against selected vehicles and a full-scale crash test at a major vehicle testing facility. The crash tests will certify the crossbeam barrier to meet the Department of State K12 specification and requirements of the National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP). Option C will also include a full-scale crash test of the field expedient barrier, which will confirm mathematical models and computer simulation efforts and will provide a strong basis for commercialization. The concept of the combined non-lethal barrier and vehicle arrestor system involves the integration of a highly advanced non-lethal vehicle barrier with an inertial sensing means and a means of selectively activating a strategically placed, underground microwave device. The integrated inertial sensors provide a means of both incident detection and warning, and a means of selectively triggering the microwave device should the level of impact surpass a pre-defined threshold indicating a vehicular attack. The underground microwave device is positioned such that it has a short, unobstructed path to the underside of the engine compartment at the instant of impact between the attacking vehicle and the barrier. Activation of the microwave device causes disablement or destruction of the vehicle’s control system without harming the driver or passenger.