Saturday, March 23, 2013

10 Futuristic Weapons You Won't Believe Are Actually Real

1. CornerShot


Sticking your head around corners and above cover is one of the most dangerous things you have to do during combat. CornerShot eliminates this problem with a gun that can literally bend and shoot around corners.

2. Active Denial System

Giant heat rays are no longer confined to movies. The active denial system fires high frequency waves to a target, much like how a microwave works, and heats the water and fat molecules in a person's skin causing up to second degree burns.

3. Railgun

Under development by the U.S. military, the railgun uses the principles of electromagnetism to accelerate projectiles and currently fires rounds up to seven times the speed of sound.

4. PHASR

PHASR, an acronym for "personnel halting and stimulation response rifle, temporarily disorients and blinds its target. Definitely brings a whole new meaning to "set phasers to stun."

5. HULC Suits

Short for Human Universal Load Carrier, exoskeletons like HULC allow soldiers to carry up to 200 lbs of gear and travel at speeds up to 10 miles per hour. Finally, a way to replicate all the amounts of weapons and ammunition you're able to magically carry in video games.

6. HELLADS

Lasers pew pew is fast becoming a reality. HELLADS, an acronym for High Energy Liquid Laser Area Defense System, will eventually be mounted on air and land based systems to shoot down opposing missiles, rockets and other projectiles.

7. Self-guided Bullets

Aiming is so last century. Developed by the U.S. Government's Sandia National Laboratories, this "smart" bullet can correct its course mid-flight to home in on a target designated by a separate laser.

8. Sonic Canons

Known officially as LRAD, or Long Range Acoustic Device, sonic cannons generate a focused beam of sound or ultrasound to incapacitate opponents. Such cannons have been used in recent times on naval vessels to ward off pirates.

9. Combat Robots

From iRobot, the company that brought you Roomba, and a munitions company called Metal Storm, comes FireStorm, one of a series of next generation ground-based combat robots that will make Johnny 5 a thing of reality.

10. XM25 Grenade Launcher

This beast of a gun can fire 25mm grenade rounds that can be set to explode in mid-air above a target for maximum destructive effect.