Boeing patents 'Star Wars'-style force fields

a reply to: lostbook


I'll give you one better, as ancillary aspect of a nice, new drive unit, and actually, not even a dedicated counter-weapon.

It's rather simple in concept. UFOs (and our triangles) produce a null-mass field around themselves to effortless move. Anything within that field loses its mass. Fire a bullet at it, and it may hit the body of the craft but with no mass inertia, it bounces harmlessly off, doing no damage.

As a defensive system also, the null-mass field has protection from missile attacks with proximity fuses that splatter near the target. A munition that explodes on contact can be thwarted by lasers incorporated to redirect and or explode such attacks at a distance, very similar in approach to quick-response defensive systems on modern tanks, etc.

UH I think they might mean "Star Trek" force fields.

originally posted by: Autorico
UH I think they might mean "Star Trek" force fields.

If you are referring to my post immediately above yours, a null-mass field is a force field.

You do see the similarities? Would you not put it past them to sort of shift the focus of the what they are working on or have. The secrets of the UFOs and the triangles have to come out at some point. And here they give us a hint.

a reply to: Aliensun

I was replying to the post in general and to the title.

so if i read this right its not for deflecting physical items or projectiles,but for countering the effects of say an explosion?

example: a Hummer is rolling around iraq or afganistan and an ied is remote detonated about 10-30 feet away from them,If this works as i think it does the device would then sent out some kind of field to absorb/block the shock wave effects but NOT the Shrapnel/projectiles kicked up from the blast. this would negate the concussive force that tends to go with explosives but not the physical things that could damage it ?


edit to add: could this be combined with chobham(sp) or American equivalent reactive tank armour? en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
Rpg comes at tank,armour reacts then shield extends to block the concussive blast while Armour negates some of the projectile damage?

a reply to: Autorico

Well that is not entirely fair. Star Wars and Star Trek both featured reference to some sort of defensive fields around craft and installations. More typically, in Star Wars they were referred to as force screens, but the basic idea behind them was not so different.

Reading up on how they plan this thing to work, it really seems like you don't want to be on the outside of the field when it goes off. Not that you want to be on the other side anyways due to fast moving metal and other bits.

originally posted by: RalagaNarHallas
so if i read this right its not for deflecting physical items or projectiles,but for countering the effects of say an explosion?

example: a Hummer is rolling around iraq or afganistan and an ied is remote detonated about 10-30 feet away from them,If this works as i think it does the device would then sent out some kind of field to absorb/block the shock wave effects but NOT the Shrapnel/projectiles kicked up from the blast. this would negate the concussive force that tends to go with explosives but not the physical things that could damage it ?


edit to add: could this be combined with chobham(sp) or American equivalent reactive tank armour? en.wikipedia.org...
en.wikipedia.org...
Rpg comes at tank,armour reacts then shield extends to block the concussive blast while Armour negates some of the projectile damage?

This was also my interpretation.

I haven't read the article, but was wondering if such a system could be used for blocking cosmic radiation during long space voyages? It probably uses a lot of energy to produce, so I'd think that this type of shield would be momentary rather than continuous.

originally posted by: MichiganSwampBuck
I haven't read the article, but was wondering if such a system could be used for blocking cosmic radiation during long space voyages? It probably uses a lot of energy to produce, so I'd think that this type of shield would be momentary rather than continuous.

From what I read in the article, I gather that this tech blocks waves from sonic booms and such. So, unless cosmic radiation travels in waves, I think not.

a reply to: TrueBrit

I guess it just wasn't as prominent in the original trilogy. You are right though, they did have them in the prequels.

a reply to: Autorico

Deflector screens! Thats another name they go by!

The way I see it, a force field is ANY field of power which deflects or mitigates damage to a protected craft, drone, or infrastructure, or individual, or denies access to an area. It is a fiction that is becoming reality, so whether that be by way of controlled plasma output, focused sonic wave generation, or any other energetic armouring method, it all qualifies!

a reply to: TrueBrit

Aside from my stupid Trek/Wars rhetoric, I am actually glad they are developing this tech. Cool stuff ftw!

The fusion plasma shield would have to be contained between two extremely powerful magnetic shields --- with the fusion plasma reaction being started, when one magnetic shield compresses the deuterium atoms in water with extreme pressure; until the fusion reaction occurs. The starship would have to be protected by a surrounding water shield --- as in order to protect the starship from neutron radiation from the fusion reactions --- With the starship being protected by the swirling electrified plasma shield from any violent incursion from the likes of an EMP pulse or bullets an missiles.

originally posted by: BlueMule
/sigh

It's never the real thing.

👣

Maybe in the future ;D

a reply to: EA006
Couldn't agree you more... Billions which could improve our life quality in so many different ways.

originally posted by: TrueBrit
a reply to: lostbook

Um... This is PRECISELY what is meant by a force field, when such things are referred to by science fiction. In fact, science fiction refers to force fields being comprised of various mechanisms, including plasma fields/shields.

I am surprised however, that Boeing have secured the patent, since I am sure that some researchers from a UK university were working on a shielding system for space craft, designed around the principle of the magnetosphere, which successfully channeled a bolt of energy around a scale miniature craft in testing, and involved a similar mechanism.

I am sure though, that Boeing would not be so rude as to jump the queue on that....

nothing against British research but they are hardly the first to experiment with a plasma force field.

earthweb.ess.washington.edu...

originally posted by: Autorico
UH I think they might mean "Star Trek" force fields.

star wars required two shields. One was effective against "rays" and the other was called particle shielding but particle shielding was effective against projectiles missiles and so forth.

Pretty awesome technology! I wonder if this is possible at large national scales, like to shield a country from a cataclismic event?