One company has received an $800,000 contract from the Department of Homeland Security to develop a new "non-lethal" method of human incapacitation for use by law enforcement.

By 2010, Intelligent Optical Systems hopes to be selling a sort of high-powered flashlight, the "LED Incapacitator," which would act by not only effectively blinding its target, but overloading his or her brain, with rapidly flashing lights at varying colors and frequencies. In addition to disorientation, headache and nausea are also likely.

The device, designed with help from the Los Angeles Police Department, could end up in the hands on the Coast Guard, Border Patrol, Secret Service and air marshals.

"It really doesn't do any damage to you," says Homeland Security's David Throckmorton. "For them, it would be to stop a terrorist--or whoever--from advancing...or somebody who's out of line on an airplane--would be able to stop them from moving forward."

"Let's not pretend these are anything less than a weapon," contends the ACLU's Michael Soller. "Tasers," he uses as an example, "were sold to police departments and police officers were trained that they were non-lethal. We have 300 deaths over the past few years that show that that claim was not true."

"We've been very careful to design this so the maximum permissible exposure limit for human eye safety is never exceeded," says IOS' Robert Lieberman on the risk of blindness from being subjected to the device.

Any applicable risk of other phenomena, such as seizure, is not covered in the accompanying reports, nor has data been made available on IOS' website.

 http://rawstory.com/news/2008/Homeland_Security_creates_LED_Incapacitator_weapon_0216.html

From CBS

PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ― When crowds go wild police fight back. Often with so-called non-lethal weapons: tasers, rubber bullets, pepper spray. Soon there'll be a new weapon in their arsenal, a high tech flashlight with a big punch.

"The flash blindness the 'Oh my gosh this light is really bright. I can't see anything behind it.' That effect is immediate for everybody," Lieberman said.

The LED Incapacitator may be irritating to watch on TV but in person it is even more stunning.

The device flashes LED lights at several specific frequencies.

Before the brain has time to adjust to one the Incapacitator flashes another.

Add in multiple colors and random pulses and the target is left feeling disoriented and nauseous.

"The longer you look at this the more you don't want to look at it. The closer you are to it. The more intense the effect it is," Lieberman said.

It leaves a suspect with few good options.
"Close your eyes, put your hand up, turn your head away, all of which will give the user the advantage they need," Lieberman said.

David Throckmorton works at homeland security in Washington D.C.

"It really doesn't do any damage to you," Homeland Security David Throckmorton said.

He said the government hopes to arm the Coast Guard, Secret Service, Border Patrol and Air Marshall's with the device.

"For them it would be a way to stop a terrorist or whoever from advancing, somebody who gets out of line on an airplane to be able to stop them from moving forward," Throckmorton said.

The technology is appealing to local police officers too.

"This is about the safest thing you can find and still be considered some type of force. This is about one step above screaming and yelling at a guy," Throckmorton said.

"Let's not pretend these are anything less than a weapon," Michael Soller said.

Michael Soller with the American Civil Liberties Union said he is concerned.

Not so much with the device itself, but with how law enforcement will be trained to handle it or potentially misuse it.

Designers stress the weapon can not cause long-term blindness.

"We've been very careful to design this so the maximum pardisable exposure limit for human eye safety is never exceeded," Lieberman said.

Medical safety tests are already underway.
Law enforcement field trials will likely start later this year.

And by 2010, the light's creators hope to be selling this technology to consumers.

Just like tasers and pepper spray you could soon be using light to defend yourself.

http://cbs3.com/topstories/LED.Incapacitator.Weapon.2.655759.html