Z-RO Retinal Obfuscation Weapon (laser?)

New police tool currently in development. To be mounted on a gun or flashlight.
Causes temporary blindness for 10-15 minutes, with no damage to eyes.
No information on how it actually works, slated for release in December 2016.

I can’t imagine this is possible without real damage to the eyes. Maybe it will never actually come to market.
I’m guessing it will be a laser of some variety. What I find most interesting is how it can cause blindness for 10 minutes but be non damaging to eyes.

Also wonder what happens if the perp is wearing mirrored sunglasses! :smiley:

http://www.shielddefensesystem.com/#![](future-products/c1b3s":http://www.shielddefensesystem.com/#)future-products/c1b3s

https://www.rt.com/usa/186464-zro-nonlethal-weapon-blinds-targets/

If that is a picture of an actual working unit then it appears that it’s not a laser. The light looks white.

Ha! Remind me to buy some. Though in reality it wouldn’t reflect back at anything close to full strength. Due to being curved and only partially mirrored.

Also, just want we need, a new weapon that can be abused. Assuming it lives up to the sales pitch hype. And I don’t actually think it will.

Someone does already make a laser “dazzler” for police but it’s much larger. The dazzlers look like they use a 532nm green laser with a large beam expander. Might also use a range finder to adjust the power and keep the mW/cm² (brightness at your eyes) within the safe range.

I read about a system that uses fluorescence of the eye lens to obfuscate a person’s view a few years ago.

“The Veiling Glare Laser uses the principle of fluorescence. Certain wavelengths of light (near-ultraviolet) cause the lens of the eye to glow. If you shine a laser of this wavelength into someone’s eye, the glow should blank out their vision completely, as though they were trying to see through a dirty windscreen in bright sunshine.

Because the veiling glare laser uses a frequency that does not reach the retina, it might be safer than other lasers.”

Source: A gleam in the eye | Science | The Guardian

I think there are 2 accessories on the gun, the white light being below the ‘retinal obfuscator’. Although I doubt it’s an image of an actual product, probably just some concept.

I agree very much on both counts.

As a BLF’r this interested me because on seeing the image I immediately started thinking about what tiny cell would be in the gun mounted version, and how it couldn’t possibly have enough mAh to be any good. :stuck_out_tongue:

And the idea of mounting such a thing to a gun is wild. Press a button to temporarily blind, or pull the trigger to kill - hope no one has fumble fingers.

Something about the claim of a 10 minute window of blindness with no permanent damage seems inplausible. Mainly how they plan to test that theory out. I don’t think many people will be volunteering their eyes. Even looking at the sun can cause long term damage.

Maybe it’s already deemed safe since these dazzlers are in use, but I don’t think they claim 10-15 minutes of blindness either, much shorter.

We used to have something like that when I was growing up, it was called a Magic cube and if someone surprised you with a camera loaded with one you were temporarily blinded. If it was dark your night vision was gone for at least 30 minutes. Magnesium wool in flashbulb is incredibly bright.