Stun Gun Cannon Will Keep Neighbors at Bay

If you are the type of person who doesn't like intrusive neighbors, you may be interested in the new sonic cannon device from Israel. If you are tired of neighbors using your landscaped lawn and gardens as a shortcut -- or as a place for their dog Rover to relieve himself -- consider the stun cannon, and a few other non-lethal devices that may serve to keep outsiders on the proper side of the line.

Using a patented process involving Pulse Detonation Technology (PDT), the system feeds the gas-air mixture into one or more so-called impulse chambers or cannon barrels, where the burning fuel detonates and intensifies in force as it travels through the chamber, exiting in a rapid-fire succession of high-velocity shock bursts.

A small battery-powered control system - about twice the size of a pack of cigarettes - measures fuel pressure, temperature and flow rates while monitoring the continuous intake of the air-gas mixture.

According to company data, the system generates 60 to 100 bursts per minute, each traveling at about 2,000 meters per second and lasting up to 300 milliseconds.

The resulting shocks create a double deterrent to rioters and potential intruders, developers here say, by the extreme air pressure and sonic boom effect generated once the mixture propagates and expands through the air. One standard 12-kilogram LPG gas canister (retail cost: about $25) can produce up to 5,000 shock bursts. _DefenseNews

This powerful stun cannon can now take its place alongside the infrasonic disruptor, the microwave skin burn, and a large variety of lasers, electric-stun, and impact-stun weapons meant to discourage unwelcome guests.

We are talking about riot control, repelling pirates, and perhaps border control. As the ability to stun-at-a-distance gets better and less permanently damaging, remotely operated non-lethal antipersonnel emplacements will likely be installed along difficult stretches of border.

For Israelis, the issue is clear. Good fences make good neighbors. For the rest of us, the ability to control the dangerous and unruly mob has never been more necessary.