Where can I get an incapacitating/disorientating LED Strobe Light for Security?

[Athos]

Hey all,

I have been looking for an LED strobe light that flashes in a way to incapacitate or disorientate (I am not sure how else to describe it) intruders attempting to get into my garage at night.

Does anyone have one of these installed? If so where did you get it?

I have found many strobe lights, but these seem to be used simply to indicate that the alarm has been triggered and I assume they will not be powerful enough or strobe quick enough to disorientate someone.

Thanks.
Athos

 

[supersunbird]

You will not find ones that can incapacitate (if they could do that, police and such would use them on rioters, wouldn't they?).

What would be your aim for disorientation? At best it would be brief.

A high wattage LED floodlight with/linked to a motion sensor/s (maybe with a audible notification of triggering) might be better suited to your needs.

 

[Athos]

You will not find ones that can incapacitate (if they could do that, police and such would use them on rioters, wouldn't they?).

What would be your aim for disorientation? At best it would be brief.

A high wattage LED floodlight with/linked to a motion sensor/s (maybe with a audible notification of triggering) might be better suited to your needs.

There are actually incapacitating flashlights (torches) which are used by the police in the USA. A torch will not work for my application though.

In terms of disorientation I want the strobe light to activate and strobe the garage area with light which makes it difficult for the intruder see what he/she is doing. Like a strobe light on a dance floor which causes your actions to appear delayed. I just want something powerful that flashes and makes their lives a lot harder.

 

[donal]

This is a good idea to investigate. The properties of using lights (and some sounds) to disorientate and disturb are well known: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flicker_vertigo .
I haven't seen lamps targeted specifically at this use, but would be interested to hear what you come up with.

 

[Progenix Oj101]

Like a strobe light on a dance floor which causes your actions to appear delayed.

It's the alcohol, and your actions ARE delayed

 

[GhostSixFour]

Best bet would be flashing combined with forcing them to move. Like fire off the strobe and start shooting paintballs at them. Like an automated turret or similar in an unmanned scenario.

 

[spiff]

one would think an ordinary camera flash gun would be more disorientating

The Incapacitating Flashlight

An LED flashlight makes culprits vomit.

www.technologyreview.com

 

[Athos]

This is a good idea to investigate. The properties of using lights (and some sounds) to disorientate and disturb are well known: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flicker_vertigo .
I haven't seen lamps targeted specifically at this use, but would be interested to hear what you come up with.

Yes this is 100%, but I can't find a ready made product which achieves this. I can make one myself but I wanted to avoid the hassle and development time as far as possible.

If I can't find something though I am probably just going to get a LED spotlight around 100 Watts and pulse the input with a solid state relay and a PWM signal from an arduino. Then I can set the frequency to exactly what I need it to be.

Edit: Oh and mine won't be as sophisticated as that flashlight, I won't have range finding abilities etc.

 

[Athos]

Best bet would be flashing combined with forcing them to move. Like fire off the strobe and start shooting paintballs at them. Like an automated turret or similar in an unmanned scenario.

One step at a time

 

[MEIOT]

Sounds more to like what you need is a .....gun.

 

[Athos]

Sounds more to like what you need is a .....gun.

I want something to protect property before the intruders get to my actual house which I also have covered in a range of beams/PIR's/CCTV/Door and Window Contacts etc etc.

It also needs to work if I am not around so a gun is not really a solution for what I am after.

 

[acidrain]

Would the fact that fast enough flashing lights causing seizures not be a potential problem? I mean the light is pretty harmless until it isn't.

It's been a common discussion in the cycling world and I think some countries have even banned flashing lights.

 

[RonSwanson]

Hey all,

I have been looking for an LED strobe light that flashes in a way to incapacitate or disorientate (I am not sure how else to describe it) intruders attempting to get into my garage at night.

Does anyone have one of these installed? If so where did you get it?

I have found many strobe lights, but these seem to be used simply to indicate that the alarm has been triggered and I assume they will not be powerful enough or strobe quick enough to disorientate someone.

Thanks.
Athos

They are more commonly used in tactical light form, many LED tactical lights (like Surefire) feature the capability of flashing at 7 Hz (and I am talking about a proper switch button on the tailcap (long press), not the fiddly chinese-made lights that require you to switch through modes.)

I am not sure that a permanent fixture will work as intended (and certainly not as effective as a tactical light) because apart from blinding the attacker / perp, and messing with his brain, the perp is only temporarily disoriented (unless of course he suffers from epilepsy). Used in a tactical light, it buys you some time to get a shot in, or to move very quickly with him knowing who / where you are and how many of you there are.

If you want a permanent fixture, then I guess that any strobe flashing at 7Hz would do, the brighter the better. You can pick up kits from any electronics store like Communica.

 

[RonSwanson]

Would the fact that fast enough flashing lights causing seizures not be a potential problem? I mean the light is pretty harmless until it isn't.

It's been a common discussion in the cycling world and I think some countries have even banned flashing lights.

If the perp has epilepsy and gets a seizure, just stick him in the bath together with your dirty clothes, and add some Omo.

 

[Athos]

Would the fact that fast enough flashing lights causing seizures not be a potential problem? I mean the light is pretty harmless until it isn't.

It's been a common discussion in the cycling world and I think some countries have even banned flashing lights.

This is a concern for me, I have thought about. The chances are very low though, so the risk shouldn't be massive. Should it happen I am not sure what the law is around someone dying on your property through means of you trying to protect your property. Probably not great for the home owner.

 

[Athos]

So I think what I am going to do is buy a 50 W COB Ultrabright LED module from China for around R 100, a solid state relay locally for around R 400 (DC input and AC switching) use an arduino nano I have lying around with a hardware interrupt from one of the free PGM's on my alarm panel. The arduino PWM to pulse the LED. I am going to 3d print a little box to hold everything and include a little DC fan for cooling along with heatsinks on the LED and the relay. Will test and let you know how it works (if it works).