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Star Wars Prequels The Military Transportation

Boeing Patents Star Wars Style Force Field Technology 126

Posted by samzenpus from the power-up-the-deflector-shield dept.
An anonymous reader was one of many to point out that Boeing doesn't want to rely on a sad devotion to an ancient religion to protect aircraft and conjure up the stolen data tapes, but plans on using force fields instead. "Boeing's new patent may let the force be with you even in real life. The aircraft and defense company has taken a cue from science fiction with its plan to develop a Star Wars style force field that would use energy to deflect any potential damage. Just liking the luminescent shields seen in the film, Boeing's "Method and system for shock wave attenuation via electromagnetic arc" could provide a real-life layer of protection from nearby impacts to targets. The downside: It won't protect from direct hits."
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Boeing Patents Star Wars Style Force Field Technology More

Boeing Patents Star Wars Style Force Field Technology

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  • You mean...? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by T.E.D. ( 34228 ) on Monday March 23, 2015 @03:47PM (#49323233)
    So really more like deflector shields.

    • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

      by halivar ( 535827 )

      Well, in Star Wars they are called deflector shields, after all.

    • good catch. more like deflector shields.

      But give them time and they'll get the plasma containment shielding working to get the light sabers up and running.

    • Not quite. The device creates a plasma barrier which reduces the intensity of incoming shock waves. Basically, it prevents nearby explosions from damaging the vehicle from their shockwaves alone. I bet any shrapnel will sail right through the plasma, and I'm sure that the plasma barrier will only weaken the shock wave, not block it entirely.

      So basically it's a sound shield that blocks (or at least dampens) extremely high-energy sound waves, such as those coming from explosives.

  • Prototype (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Luthair ( 847766 ) on Monday March 23, 2015 @03:48PM (#49323239)
    Shouldn't they need a working prototype to patent this? Oh well, I guess at least the patent will be expired before these devices actually exist.

    • Re:Prototype (Score:5, Informative)

      by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 23, 2015 @03:56PM (#49323303)

      This one's pretty simple. Use an electric arc to destroy the air between you and the approaching shockwave. This leaves no medium for the shockwave to propagate. I wouldn't assume too strongly don't have a working prototype.

      • So... inappropriate for spacecraft, then. Oh well.

        • No, not a spacecraft. The patent looks more like a very loud sound wave generator, so needs to be in air. It would take a lot of power (and sound) to defect the shockwave of an explosion. If it can stop an explosion shockwave, then the concussion wave (it would need to generate) would also kill anyone near it, but then sound proofing the vehicle enough (to protect it) would be a hard engineering task as well (although I guess achieveable). But then sound that powerful could also be used to destroy nearby bu

          • Re:Prototype (Score:4, Informative)

            by viperidaenz ( 2515578 ) on Monday March 23, 2015 @06:45PM (#49324147)

            Its certainly not however a stealth technology,

            I'd assume you don't need stealth technology when you're at the point of deflecting enemy fire. They obviously already know where you are.

          • Re: (Score:2, Interesting)

            by Anonymous Coward

            I'm waiting for rock bands to start using it for speakers! ;)

            So, can Douglass Adams' estate claim prior art via Disaster Zone?

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by MouseR ( 3264 )

        I'm pretty sure the plume of molten copper of an RPG couldn't give a crap about a shockwave.

        • I'm pretty sure the plume of molten copper of an RPG couldn't give a crap about a shockwave.

          Actually I believe it does. Thats the whole principle behind reactive armor. My understanding is that the detonation of the armor produces a counter shockwave that disrupts the precisely shaped detonation of the warhead and the plume ends up splashing rather than boring through.

          • Re: (Score:2)

            by matfud ( 464184 )

            Explosives are fun. Reactive Armour can disrupt a shaped charge. Even simple grid armour can provide the separation needed to reduce the effect of a shaped charge. there are reasons why vehicles look like a chicken cadge. I works and is light and cheap.

          • Not only a counter shockwave and the splashing as you mention.

            Active armor produces an extremely high/strong electric field. And as the explosion consists of positive charged ions (does not matter what kind of "ammunition"), those get deflected.

    • they are just going to take tapes of Star Trek to the patent office , maybe.

      • Re: (Score:3)

        by amiga3D ( 567632 )

        Seems like George Lucas can claim prior art maybe.

    • Ditto. I know I dont possess all the knowledge of the patent system but I have a strong feeling that one of the key pieces to patent something is to have a working prototype. I guess its not a requirement but it should be!

    • good question. If you have a laser strong enough to instantly ionize a patch of air between you and an exploding munition [we are talking milliseconds for the whole show here!] that itself must create a shock wave as the super-heated air expands more or less into what we would perceive as an explosion. I am hoping the Boeing Boeing engineers have some proof the cure is better than the disease, so to speak.
      If you can shape the surface of the discontinuity in gas density by this method, you could cause a

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by Anonymous Coward

        Re: Cure better than the disease.

        I don't see it as being much different from the "Active Armour" they have on tanks. Given the choice between being deaf, or dead, I'll take deaf.

        • Re: Prototype (Score:2, Insightful)

          by Wycliffe ( 116160 )

          Sadly, the powers that be disagree.
          They would rather have you dead than wounded. It's the reason that there is an international ban on weapons that make you blind or deaf. Wounded soldiers are costly and make people see the real cost of war while dead soldiers are quickly forgotten.

    • Re: prototype requirement for patents: very early on, the Patent Office did require prototypes before issuing patents, but they found it was so cumbersome and complicated that the requirement was dropped before long... I tried to find the exact date, but I think it was in the early 19th century. If you give it some thought, you'll see the problem: dozens-- or even hundreds-- of models arriving each week at USPTO... how to handle fragile items, andxwho, is responsible when something is broken... patents

  • The downside: It won't protect from direct hits." (Score:5, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday March 23, 2015 @03:48PM (#49323241)

    direct hit: That's where everybody moves side to side in unison and then falls to the floor.

    Then some panel blows and sparks fly everywhere - why they stopped using fuses in the future is anyone's guess.

    And the guy in he red shirt will be dead. All others will be just unconscious.

    Shit! Wrong franchise!

    • ...or the girl in the red miniskirt, if they need some extra emotive factor.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by phorm ( 591458 )

      Yeah, in this case all the guys in the white plastic uniforms will die instead as the reactor core blows due to a direct hit on the one small weakness in the design...

  • First Post.... (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Oooohh...deflected!

  • Read the Damn Articles (Score:3)

    by Crashmarik ( 635988 ) on Monday March 23, 2015 @03:52PM (#49323275)

    This isn't a force field it's a point defense system.

    The system can sense when a shock wave generating explosion occurs near a target. An arc generator then determines the small area where protection is needed from the shock waves.It then springs into action by by emitting laser pulses that ionize the air, providing a laser-induced plasma field of protection from the shock waves.

    • This isn't a force field it's a point defense system.

      The system can sense when a shock wave generating explosion occurs near a target. An arc generator then determines the small area where protection is needed from the shock waves.It then springs into action by by emitting laser pulses that ionize the air, providing a laser-induced plasma field of protection from the shock waves.

      So it won't work in space then. Not much of a force field.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by AK Marc ( 707885 )
      So it only protects from shock waves? I was thinking of something that would help replace the expensive, heavy, and error prone reactive armor on tanks.

    • The Israelis have actually deployed a point defense system on some of their troop carriers. It uses a direct hit munition to intercept the incoming projectile, a munition that explodes creating a shock wave to stop incoming projectiles in a wide area, and electronic counter measures to disrupt guided munitions.

      • Re: (Score:2)

        by matfud ( 464184 )

        Yep there are interesting things and Israel do manage to do them. Germany, UK and America also seem to do this.

  • Apparently obsession with cell phones and fax machines is a condition particular to our time and place.
    • Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the galaxy lies a small, unregarded yellow sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly 92 million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue-green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea. -- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy" by Douglas Adams

  • Hyped marketing (Score:4, Interesting)

    by meustrus ( 1588597 ) <meustrus@PLANCKgmail.com minus physicist> on Monday March 23, 2015 @03:54PM (#49323289)

    This is Sci-Fi because somebody in marketing thought they could get more buzz if they called it that. It deflects shockwaves, not projectiles. Then again who knows; maybe the blasters in Star Wars just make photon shockwaves? But this just looks like trademark infringement to me.

    The sad thing is their clickbait worked. But a shockwave deflector shield is pretty neat tech anyway.

  • The system can sense when a shock wave generating explosion occurs near a target. An arc generator then determines the small area where protection is needed from the shock waves.

    It then springs into action by by emitting laser pulses that ionize the air, providing a laser-induced plasma field of protection from the shock waves.

    Perhaps I've blocked out much of the new Star Wars movies, but I certainly don't recall force fields in Star Wars. That always seemed more Star Trek to me. Calling something an "arc generator" sounds closer to arc reactor from Iron man. But I guess everything in the defense department is "Star Wars".

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by erice ( 13380 )

      Switch your deflector shields on -- double front!

      Deflector shields are mentioned often in Star Wars. I don't recall any visuals, though.

    • Re:Star Wars? (Score:5, Informative)

      by Dutch Gun ( 899105 ) on Monday March 23, 2015 @04:25PM (#49323485)

      In the prequels, we saw them on the Naboo fighter ships. [nocookie.net] Also, don't forget the destroyer droids with their bubble shields [stardestroyer.net], and the Gungans with their animal-mounted battlefield shields, and even hand-held shields [nocookie.net]. There are plenty more examples from the next two movies as well.

      In the original trilogy, I don't recall seeing the shields themselves, but both the rebels (on Hoth) and the empire (on Endor) protected their assets with large, ground-based shield generators. There are also references in the dialogue as well ("Switch your deflectors on - double front!").

      You really blocked out a lot, didn't you...

      • Re: (Score:1)

        by aaronjp ( 51549 )

        The whole ground assault on Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back was to take out the shield generator. Which one of the AT-AT's finally accomplishes.

      • In the original trilogy, I don't recall seeing the shields themselves, but both the rebels (on Hoth) and the empire (on Endor) protected their assets with large, ground-based shield generators. There are also references in the dialogue as well ("Switch your deflectors on - double front!").

        It's been a while. But the shields really didn't appear to do a damn thing as far as I could tell. I remember the "double front" thing now that you mention it, but I'm not sure what those shields actually accomplished. Besides Luke, and the guy who Kamikazed the death star, was there a single rebel ship that didn't blow up instantly when it has hit?

        I forgot about the shiles on Hoth until you mentioned it. But, the shields on Hoth did what exactly? Other than be an excuse for a battle in the snow, and to mak

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by steveha ( 103154 )

          the shields really didn't appear to do a damn thing as far as I could tell. I remember the "double front" thing now that you mention it, but I'm not sure what those shields actually accomplished.

          I think the in-universe explanation is that the shields were double front to protect against fire from the laser turrets on the Death Star, but when Vader and his TIE fighters hit the fighters from behind, the front shields didn't do any good.

          This has always been fine with me. These are fighters, and it would be si

        • I've always rationalized it like this: in the films, they always showed the last shot that blew up the ship, since that was more dramatic. In addition to the Y-Wing squad leader you mentioned, Porkins ship was damaged and ultimately destroyed by the turret fire from the Death Star's tower cannons (very similar to WW2 flak towers, btw).

          The shield on Hoth was explained via dialogue [moviequotedb.com]. Not only did it make for my favorite battle in the entire serious, it was specifically designed as protection against bombardm

        • Re: (Score:2)

          by aevan ( 903814 )
          Wedge.

          Wedge: "I'm hit! I can't stay with you."
          Luke: "Get clear, Wedge. You can't do any more good back there!"
          Wedge: "Sorry!"

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Cederic ( 9623 )

      You should play x-wing, tie fighter, x-wing vs tie fighter or x-wing alliance then. Deflector shield management was a very important gameplay element, one that's become a space combat genre staple.

  • Such a bad summary (Score:5, Informative)

    by steveha ( 103154 ) on Monday March 23, 2015 @04:03PM (#49323345) Homepage

    Star Wars features force fields that can, for example, hold the air in a spacecraft hangar even while a spacecraft flies out.

    Boeing has developed a technology where lasers fire a burst of energy to turn air into plasma, causing a shock wave. When sensors detect an incoming pressure wave (from an explosion or whatever) this system creates a counter-wave.

    Even when I squint and wave my hands a lot, those two things don't look much alike.

    The prior art on this is not Star Wars, but reactive tank armor [wikipedia.org].

    • It is just another example of shoddy tech/science journalism, to use the latter term loosely. Sensationalism gets people to click.

    • I think we first saw this in noise cancelling headphones actually....

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Sibko ( 1036168 )

      Actually, force fields that can hold back air from vacuum (or another atmosphere) while letting spacecraft (or other things, including light) fly out, are a real thing known as plasma windows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

      They take a lot of energy to produce, however.

    • fire a burst of energy to turn air into plasma, causing a shock wave.

      Except the aren't creating a shock wave to counter the incoming wave. They're changing the density, pressure or composition of the medium (air or water) the shock wave is going to pass through, attenuating it.

      Have a read of the summary in the patent.

      Countering a shock wave with a generated one would be horribly complex. You'd need to measure the wave first or risk amplifying it further. You'd need to generate it at in the exact same time and place you want to counter it, or your own shock wave is going to h

  • I've been told the game has changed? (Score:1)

    by Anonymous Coward

    Why don't you cover the outside of the plane with 3D printers and repair any damage instantly in flight, like the Borg cube?

  • nc (Score:1)

    by Falos ( 2905315 )
    Of course it's a point-defense system. Did you think it was a patent on an actual force-field generator? Don't be ridiculous.

    Because some patent squatter will have that already.

    • Re: (Score:1)

      by Falos ( 2905315 )
      Doublepost, but I had a compulsive urge to point out how weird it is to speak in future tense in reference to a past event.

  • "Just liking the luminescent shields seen in the film..."

    Uh, when do "see" any shielding in Star Wars? Star Trek, sure, they are popping up all the time.

    But I can't remember one scene in Star Wars 4, 5 or 6 where shielding is displayed. Except for the briefing scene in 6 when discussing the attack plan on Death Star 2, and that's just a holographic projection.

    • When the Millennium Falcon is being attacked by TIE fighters, the laser blasts don't actually seem to come in direct contact with the surface of the Falcon. I always assumed that this was the deflector shields. You don't actually *SEE* the shields, but you see the lack of laser blasts.

    • Re: (Score:2)

      by Meneth ( 872868 )
      The Gungans in Phantom Menace (depicted in TFA) have visible shields. I think those are the only ones in the series.

  • Don't they mean... (Score:3)

    by Sir Holo ( 531007 ) on Monday March 23, 2015 @04:42PM (#49323581)

    Don't they mean Star Trek?

    What 'reporter' says it's like "Star" anything? The claimed invention is dependent upon a shock wave traveling through air (by laser beam-induced plasma local heating). . . No one can hear you scream in space, y'know.

    Oh, I see, it's the same 'reporter' that can't tell the difference between a preposition and a gerund. FTA: "Just liking the luminescent shields seen in the film...

    • Re: (Score:3)

      by Sowelu ( 713889 )

      At this point I don't think it's a reference to how it operates, exactly. I think it's more a callback to the Star Wars missile defense project in the Reagan era, or at least that's how it would resonate with people who followed politics back then.

  • last I heard (Score:5, Funny)

    by neghvar1 ( 1705616 ) on Monday March 23, 2015 @04:54PM (#49323649)
    Last time I heard about force fields and deflector shields, we created a wormhole, made the USS Eldridge disappear, and caused a bunch of navy personnel to get embedded in the bulkhead of the ship
  • Is this an actual patent or just a patent application? TFA doesn't seem to be very clear about that point, although they do say

    While Boeing may been granted the patent, it's unclear how long it will be before the company deploys the real-life force fields.

    This makes me think that this is just a patent application.

  • From the tortured summary the only thing that's clear is that this technology is nothing like anything in Star Wars or Star Trek, but some illiterate in PR has decided that whatever they actually do is so boring, obscure or useless that the only way to drum up any attention for them is to describe them in terms of something completely unrelated.

    Does anyone have any idea what they actually do and how they do it?

  • Just liking the luminescent shields seen in the film

    What if you is hating them?

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