Science Fiction Flashlights

This is actually a US military issue light, it’s been produced for decades. The Army models were olive drab, the Navy/Air force models were grey. I have one of each. Mostly D-cell, I’ve seen a few C-cell. They come with four color diffusers for signaling and not killing night vision or being less detectable to the enemy. It’s right-angle design is for hanging it on the straps of your backpack. They also have one feature I sometimes find I cannot do without, they float in water.
The photo is from the DS9 episode “Little Green Men” where the ferengi visited Earth in the year 1947. Not sure if the light design is actually that old, but I would not be surprised at all if it does. I’m not sure if that’s still the model issued to GI’s today, but you can definitely still get them.

Come to think of it, a buoyant flashlight is not at all a bad idea. Especially with the waterproofing we have today.

If you’re doing any kind of boating, buoyancy can be life-or-death, but not-so-great for diving.
Just checked… The army model I have is very dark green, almost black. You can see the clip in the photo. It was issued to me in 1987. USARMY is stamped on the side.
The Navy model is straight, it is not a right-angle light, but otherwise has all the same features of the Army light. USNAVY is stamped on the side. Dad left the Navy in 1965.
They both still work.

Ever thought of dropping in an LED upgrade on either of them?

No, but I did just decide they belong on the long shelf I made this year, along with my other queens. Amazingly, the Navy one looks almost like it’s never been used, only one small scratch on it, and the switch has very positive, secure action. All 4 diffusers are still in the tail cap. Keep the batteries out of them, of course.

Looks like an old LED Lenser X21R.2

How about a flashlight that is cooled by “li-900”, the ceramic that was used in space shuttle tiles? You could cast a triple spacer for a convoy s2 out of this stuff! Does anyone here have connections at Lockheed?
It would be nice to have a 3000 lumen pocket light that can run on turbo till the battery dies.Remember this is just fiction. :wink:

Those tiles are the exact opposite of what you want. They’re extremely good insulators. For good cooling you need good conductors of heat.

One I wished for long ago — a fan-folding combination reflector and heat radiator.

Hey, an old magnesium bulb flash. I’m pretty sure I have one lying around somewhere (but can’t find it right now).

just infinite light, tiny size, infinite run time*, lumens and pattern adjustable infinitely and quickly

most important - no blinky modes
~
*(or zero charge time)

wle

How about an RTG-driven flashlight? :-D (just kidding of course)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_battery

NASA used these on space exploration missions like Voyager.

I’ve seen one fanwork of The Martian where Watney uses an RTG to warm up the rover while he goes looking for Pathfinder. After much failure and overheating, he makes it work.

Hmm, maybe a flashlight using parasitic WiFi energy suck to recharge.
Would it need a trailing antenna?

The TL-122 is an old design, before WWII… But that of the photo appears be a MX-991/U, more modern (Vietnam).
https://olive-drab.com/od_soldiers_gear_flashlight.php

Edit: Fulton still manufactures it… Fulton Industries | Product Categories | Government & Military

But I’m hoping y’all can come up with some novel, innovative, surprising, new ideas —- science fictiony ideas —- for flashlights of the future.

Dream a little!

Okay, a dystopian future flashlight — built-in facial recognition.

Scan it over the crowd and it brightens to pick out the [insert your personal paranoid fantasy here] people.

A “people recognizing” light is already in the works. But it is for car headlights that selectively dim parts of their beam to avoid blinding everyone on the road.

Petzl has a crude version of this in their $400 industrial headlamps. A pair of IR transcievers mounted in the headlamps will automatically crank down the output when it is pointed at someone also wearing a $400 headlamp.

I still have one; readapted with a reflector with three low power LEDs; it will give about 60 lumens, but to get around at home it’s fine; I run it with two “D” “SUPERPILA” at nikel cadmium dating back to the 80s, but they still work

Cross-reference for historians: flashlights in use by astronauts and cosmonauts at present: