It was 4:30am. I thought I heard a noise. Looking out the window, I saw a shape on the back deck. Someone was prying on the sliding door, using a screwdriver to pop the latch. He wouldn’t get in that way, the door’s secured with bolts. He’d have to break the glass. I was not gonna find out if he was that desperate. I grabbed my SBB, and leaned out the window.

This is no ordinary gun. The “ammo” is small hollow plastic spheres, the size of marbles, hundreds of them. They’re fired with compressed air from a nitrogen cylinder, similar to paintballs. The balls have electronic circuits and batteries inside. Most produce a loud noise such as warbling, chirps, or constant tones. Some are ultrasonic. And some have blinking lights. As they are fired, they’re profusely coated with a glowing, scented, rubbery slime, which sticks to skin, clothing, and hair. The batteries will work for half an hour. The sticky material, glow and tracking scent lasts much longer.

I discharged the entire nitrogen cylinder. The surprised burglar ran off, beeping, glowing, and blinking, with those balls stuck in clumps everywhere. The cacophony woke everyone he passed, so the police got complete information on his every move. He was easy to track, right up to his own house. Punk kid. He’d been stealing from neighbors for months. Now he’s busted. And taking a long shower.
-- Amos Kito, Apr 12 2003

Skunk Balls http://www.halfbake.../idea/Skunk_20Balls
I'm all in favor of shooting burglars non-lethally. [DrCurry, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

for [half]: http://www.solarbot...4categoryzq311=true
These lights would fit in a marble with room to spare. [Amos Kito, Oct 04 2004, last modified Apr 13 2007]

for [half] II: http://www.intellec...one/earphone_e.html
Itty bitty hearing aid speakers. [Amos Kito, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

(?) Sheriff (Japan) http://world.altavi...urity.html&lp=ja_en
Jul 21, 2004: Baked? Hard to tell [krelnik, Oct 04 2004, last modified Oct 05 2004]

Mark Pet-L/Office http://www.engadget...at-the-markpet-was/
[Amos Kito, Apr 13 2007, last modified Oct 18 2008]

So he screamed because you shot him in the balls?
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Apr 12 2003


This non-lethal weapon sounds like a good idea to me except for the part where the ammo is the size of marbles and yet makes enough noise to wake everyone the burglar passes. Is that part actually feasible?
-- half, Apr 12 2003


Now he'll sue for defamation of character
-- thumbwax, Apr 12 2003


...unless he bought one too.
-- galukalock, Apr 12 2003


//makes enough noise//

[half], see the navel ring light [link]. Watch batteries and circuitry fit into the projectiles. For the sirens, I'd use a "piezoelectric transducer". My little travel alarm is plenty loud. The batteries won't last long, which is OK. Some tiny compressed gas whistles might do the trick. Check out the [other link] for hearing-aid sized piezo transducers!
-- Amos Kito, Apr 12 2003


I have no trouble believing the lights, circuitry, battery part. It's the volume I was wondering about. I doubt that the piezo hearing aid thing would be all that loud. If the burglar could somehow be persuaded to stick the marbles in people's ears, that'd probably wake them. :-)

I'm just being overly picky I guess. After all, this is the halfbakery, not the bakery. Since you went to the trouble to politely respond with some supporting links, have a croissant.
-- half, Apr 12 2003


Agree with [ravens], and croissant.
-- Shz, Apr 13 2003


... and if you are not at home at the time of the intrusion, a bucket-load stationed and primed above the door... (tell the cleaner though)
-- po, Apr 13 2003


People would ignore the sound, like they do now with car alarms.
-- waugsqueke, Apr 13 2003


...then they'd lobby against the stuff, after enough 'prank shootings' (remember the paintball pranksters?).
-- galukalock, Apr 13 2003


I've shot marbles from a paintball gun, just for fun. They have insufficient velocity, unless you dial the gun way up, and then you risk damaging the barrel.

More fun was had by freezing paintballs. It was great fun. Where we played, head-shots didn't count so as to discourage people shooting at others' heads. Consequently, observers would stick their heads out, knowing they were invulnerable, and willing to take a stray one or two for the tactical advantage of the vision. With a pot of frozen balls, you'd go for a head-shot and another, and another and another. With no splat marks to prove that you were intentionally nailing the guy in the forehead, tactical balance was restored.
-- FloridaManatee, Apr 13 2003


"Cheater beaters" are great too, they're realy hard and full of wax (to discourage wiping).

What if the purpetrater took a route through a pond or river or heavy rain like they do in action movies? Most devises that emit sound would be rendered useless in water.
-- demtangs, Apr 23 2003


Cheater Beaters????
-- The Kat, Apr 24 2003


How about this: stagger some of the ammo's timers, so that some go off immediately, some later. Lasts longer.
-- galukalock, Apr 24 2003


I'm not quite sure, but I *think* a Japanese company has baked a version of this. Only their product contains an RFID type device that has the time of the attack encoded in it, so when the burglar/mugger shows up at the hospital, he can be identified as the perpetrator.

Or something. Its hard to tell with babelfish. See link.
-- krelnik, Jul 21 2004


Perfect :)
-- NeoPiter, Jul 21 2004


I rather like this! I'm a big fan of non-lethal weapons. Croissant for you!
-- evilmathgenius, Jul 21 2004


The modern equivelant to tar & feathering. +
-- simonj, Jul 22 2004


Sound feasible, even if a round of ammo would set you back a fair amount. The sound thing would work too. Granted a piezo transducer the size of a marble isn't going to wake the neighbours, but with enough of them you could follow the guy easy! Croissant.
-- wagster, Jul 22 2004


And if you miss, a pile of beeping, blinking, and aggravating burglar balls at your back door....
-- pilgrim, Jul 22 2004


I laughed so hard at the title alone that I'm bestow my gummy, warbling croissant atop the pile.

Fabulous fun at raves, too.
-- absterge, Jul 22 2004


ref krelnik's [link] (babelfish translated) "The mark pet is the crime prevention device of the epoch-making next generation": Whatever a Mark Pet is, I need one.
-- Amos Kito, Jul 22 2004


baked i believe... FN Herstal make something very similar they call the FN303. Its powered by a compressed air bottle (good for 110 shots) and each magazine carries 15 shots.

"The primary effect is trauma : the shock (15J/cm³) directly neutralizes the aggressor. Secondary effects will be delivered by a chemical payload chosen according to the mission requirements"

the 'chemical payloads' include washable and indelible paint, Oleoresin Capsicum (sounds nasty) and are aparently working on 'Clear out' (Oleoresin Capsicum +CS gas), and Illuminant.
-- tacit, Feb 19 2006



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