A wall of Tasers.

• Author: Wright, Austin
• Position: TECH WIRE

Taser International Inc. has released a security system that the company says is a less-lethal way to guard restricted land, protect military vehicles and capture kidnappers.

The product, called the Shockwave, is a rack with six bays that each can fire three taser cartridges, one after the other. The racks can be linked horizontally and vertically, essentially creating a wall of tasers. Twelve units can protect an area the size of a football field, according to the company.

In its current form, the system won't fire unless a human pulls the trigger. But Taser spokesman Steve Tuttle hints that a fully autonomous version might be in the works.

"That's pie in the sky at this point, but the device was created with a lot of futuristic ideas in mind," he says. "That's certainly something we're looking at."

Tuttle says soldiers could mount Shockwave racks on vehicles to keep potential rioters and insurgents at a safe distance--while running a low risk of killing them. "This product just hit the market, and we've already had a lot of interest, especially in the military," he says.

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