Crowd protests can often lead to situations where law enforcement must resort to the use of force. However, this force must pose the least danger possible. A recent invention in this field could prevent crowd chaos while ensuring the safety of participants.
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The new anti-riot system creates a slippery substance. Photo: Pravda |
Instead of dispersing crowds with tear gas or rubber bullets, peacekeepers may soon be able to douse them with a slippery substance.
A device resembling a backpack will allow the wearer to spray a slick substance onto the ground, making it impossible for people to maintain their footing.
“It’s like walking on ice,” says Errol Brigance, a senior engineer at the Southwest Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas.
Brigance and his colleagues registered a patent for this unconventional invention earlier this year.
Although other methods—such as tear gas, sound guns, stun guns, lights, and barriers—also work effectively, not all of these techniques are suitable for every situation. For example, barriers are bulky and require prior planning, while stun guns can sometimes be lethal.
The new anti-riot system weighs less than 34 kg and consists of three compartments: one for compressed air, one for 19 liters of water, and a third for a powder made from acrylic polymer. The compressed air will independently pump water and the powder through two nozzles, mixing this gas-powder combination into a thick, honey-like slippery substance and spraying it outwards.
The nozzles can shoot the slippery substance up to 7.5 meters away.
However, other researchers caution that such a system could further escalate chaos and cause more harm than anticipated. “If everyone falls down in a crowd, that could be even more dangerous.” Additionally, it may not be safe for moving vehicles.
This anti-riot system is currently undergoing two phases of testing and could be operational by the end of next year.
T. An
