The TR3 laser gun

Remember “Rear Window,” the Alfred Hitchcock flick starring Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart? Well, if you don’t, let’s just say that an old-fashioned camera with a huge flash plays a big role. The hero, a photographer trying to solve a crime that occurred in his own courtyard, uses his camera flash to prevent the assassin from attacking him. His vision blurred by the light, his assailant is unable to act. That is the idea behind the new TR3, a non-lethal weapon that uses a powerful laser beam to deter potential assailants from up to one mile away. The light is potent enough to create extreme discomfort, including headaches and nausea, even from long distances, but does not cause permanent eye damage. The army, for example, has already been using powerful light deterrents in danger zones, including checkpoints.

Manufacturer XRAS, based in Indiana, developed the long-range TR3 in cooperation with customers such as shipping company Maersk. As piracy continues to be a problem, particularly in the Gulf of Aden, this technology can help deter would-be pirates and provide a temporary “cloak,” giving a ship or yacht the time it needs to get out of a dangerous zone. Fort Lauderdale-based SPA Defense is the exclusive distributor in the United States.

For more information, visit spa-defense.com