Eureka! Microwave Pulse to Stop Car Bombers, Fleeing Felons

Robert Farago
by Robert Farago

Inventorspot reports that a California hi-tech start-up named Eureka Aerospace is developing a microwave gun to zap an automobile's Electronic Control Unit (ECU), disabling the car. The prototype's pulse lasts 50 nanoseconds– enough to overload wires and/or damage the car's central microprocessor. The radiation energy unleashed by the 300 megahertz burst (compared to 2.45 gigahertz in a microwave) doesn't interfere with common radio frequencies and won't turn a human's internal organs into goulash. Speaking to TTAC (podcast below), CEO James Tatoian said the U.S. Marine Corps are helping sponsor the research in their search for ways to protect themselves against car bombers. The LA Sheriff's office is also in on the deal, loaning Eureka vehicles for their ECU frying tests, hoping they can put "World's Wildest Police Chase Videos" out of business. Tatoian says his company hopes to have a field tested working gun within two years. [You can watch a news report on the microwave by clicking on the avi file here .]

Robert Farago
Robert Farago

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  • Confused1096 Confused1096 on Dec 04, 2007
    A waste of money. A microwave is not going to stop momentum. How can this be any worse than blowing out the tires of a car going 100MPH? As far as counter measures--consider that most cars are stolen shortly before the crime they are used in. Even if a criminal is smart enough (and remember, if they were smart...) to think of EMP shielding, they may not have time.
  • Ricky Spanish Ricky Spanish on Dec 04, 2007

    Carbs are a good solution . . . I think I might just get a mid-80s Porsche with Bosch mechanical fuel injection

  • Sajeev Mehta Sajeev Mehta on Dec 04, 2007

    The proliferation of electro-hydraulic brakes and steering is a big concern here. Steering in particular. If the car gets zapped anywhere but a straight road you might have a wrongful death lawsuit on your hands.

  • Stung89 Stung89 on Dec 14, 2007

    my college algebra teacher works for this company... i heard about this like in spring of 06. this guy is nuts...he tested his own car and apparantly it works...and he was late for our class. terrible teacher, couldnt understand the guy. too smart for his own good. plus he shouldnt have told us all that info about that crap.

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