Law enforcement may soon be able to “Nuke” your car and stop it wherever and whenever they need it stopped. James Tatoian, chief executive of Eureka Aerospace in Pasadena, California, is developing a system that uses microwave energy to interfere with microchips inside cars. Once the chip is overloaded with excessive current, the car ceases to function, and will gradually decelerate on its own, he said. “If you put approximately 10 or 15 kilovolts per meter on a target for a few seconds, you should be able to bring it to a halt,”
Most cars built in the United States since 1982 have some type of on-board microprocessor. Today, the processors are advanced enough to control functions such as fuel injection and GPS equipment. Eureka Aerospace hopes to have a working prototype that the sheriff’s department can test by late summer. The National Institute of Justice and the U.S. Marine Corps may also be potential early clients. The company’s early tests indicate that the car-stopping device should be functional at a range of 300 feet. If the technology is able to prove worthy, it may also change the behavior of potential criminals. Heal said most people who lead police on car chases have never committed such an act before, and they might think twice if they recall the presence of such a device.