Auto thieves get stuck on new deterrent
Some of you may remember the sci-fi action flick, Demolition Man, starring Wesley Snipes and Sylvester Stallone. Aside from the laughable script, the movie featured some good action, funny scenes with Dennis Leary, and some cool cars. One of the film's futuristic vehicles even demonstrated an advancement on the airbag idea in the shape of a quickly expanding foam that sealed the occupants inside the vehicle during a crash, thus protecting them from harm.
Flash forward (or is that backwards) to the present, and a similar product is now being touted as a theft deterrent. US firm Fujitsu Ten has found a way to use expanding foam to trap would-be car thieves in their seats. When movement is detected, some liquid chemical is released that rapidly expands to fill the whole car. The perp is trapped inside but can easily be cut free with a hot wire. The device has received a US Patent, but no customers as of yet.
Aside from being very embarassed from being trapped in a giant Cool Whip container, Johnny Low Jack is also going to be pretty upset when you send the cleaning bill for your car to his jail cell.
[Source: Auto Express]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
DPC car videos 6:33PM (9/11/2006)
What about the clean up, is it going to be easy to clean the car interior you you will need a whole new interior.
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jordan 10:17AM (9/12/2006)
so, if the windows are up, does it fill completely so i can't breathe? granted, im no car thief, but this technology can never be completely fool proof, so there's a chance something could malfunction and accidentally imprison me in my car with possibly no air (only that gel to inhale before it completely hardens?)
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felonious.monk 6:47PM (9/11/2006)
Seriously doubt this would be used to combat auto theft. It will more likely be applied in the military or law enforcement for crowd control or other situations where non-lethal weapons are needed.
"Johnny Low Jack is also going to be pretty upset when you send the cleaning bill for your car to his jail cell. "
Horse shit. If the perp cared, he/she wouldn't be breaking into the car to begin with. Basically they have so little to lose they're willing to take all risks. If they could pay for the clean up, they wouldn't be breaking into cars to begin with. If the technology is really used as the article describes, then the cleaning bill would be handled like the way it does now for theft recoveries... the victim picks up the tab or the insurance does it - the victim picks up the tab.
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Whydrive 6:49PM (9/11/2006)
i'd prefer Christine approach to theft deterrants - auto lock the doors, roll up the windows, blast some awful music, and auto-drive at high speed into the nearest object.
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Steve 6:56PM (9/11/2006)
Christine? Couldn't you just do that with Onstar? Lock the doors, turn off the ignition, start honking the horn and if you're really angry, set off the airbags! Now I'd buy that service!
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Taylor Alexander 6:54PM (9/11/2006)
Yeah... that foam would have to expand and harden damn fast if they want to make sure the perp doesn't just get out before he's trapped... Also, insurance companies wouldn't like this if it destroyed the interior. Replacing the interior on a car costs a lot... sometimes more than the value of the car if it's used. If that's the case, they're almost better off letting it be stolen...
-Taylor
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Woody 6:57PM (9/11/2006)
I love the idea but not the impending lawsuit from the theif or his or her family for injury or wrongful death.
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Whydrive 7:09PM (9/11/2006)
Problem with a stationary car is it's too easy for a thief to escape (unless you deactivate the door lock mechanism).
Fujitsu should modify the system so that it can sync up with the stereo and blast Toxic by Britney Spears. The song alone would incapacitate most thiefs.
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Sam Jackson 7:44PM (9/11/2006)
I doubt this will ever happen. The problem with anti-theft devices like this is what happens when they go off on accident. Imagine a person getting in a car wreck when this accidently went off, and then not being able to escape their vehicle.
Same goes with load noise/smoke. Could cause serious accidents if deployed while someone is driving down the highway.
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Car chops and Discussion 11:03PM (9/11/2006)
flying cars next??
http://www.carchops.com
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UpIrons 11:15PM (9/11/2006)
I would like to know how it doesn't get into the theives' nose and mouth to prevent breathing. If the theives' mouth is open would they not get a mouthful of expanding foam? Seems like it wouldn't take much to choke someone with this rather than just trap them.
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JZeke 8:11AM (9/12/2006)
That film was remarkably prescient actually, aside from its ridiculous dialogue and action scenes.
Heres a few reasons why:
1. Taco Bell as upscale dining - McDonalds has been the first to introduce more "designed" interiors that actually have people come take your order. ie upscale fast food is already here.
2. SoCal metroplex - Southern California is already one major grid city, all thats left is the land on both sides of camp pendelton to turn into suburb.
3. Computer controlled driving - hardly novel when the film came out but closer to the reality we will soon be experiencing.
4. Electrified walls to deter vandalism - I've seen this technology debuted in Japan recently!
5. Pop music replaced by jingles - Already happening thanks to American Idol, Ford and Oscar Meyer.
6. The Three Seashells - OK, maybe not... what was the deal with that anyway?
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Andre Elferink 7:51AM (9/12/2006)
"10. I would like to know how it doesn't get into the theives' nose and mouth to prevent breathing. If the theives' mouth is open would they not get a mouthful of expanding foam? Seems like it wouldn't take much to choke someone with this rather than just trap them."
... And one does wonder why you care for the theives well-being.
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Phil L. 8:19AM (9/12/2006)
> "... And one does wonder why you care for the thieves well-being.
Well, maybe I don't. But based on the number of car alarms that go off in a typical shopping mall parking lot, inattentive-as-usual owners will get trapped on a regular basis. And, of course, the first child that ends up someplace they shouldn't be - and sets it off - will rightfully earn the sympathy of a jury.
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UpIrons 8:56AM (9/12/2006)
Thanks #13 for pretty much responding the way I would have. While I don't necessarily care for the theives' well-being, there is always that odd circumstance where a thief dies in a car that you put this system into and you end up getting sued by the family of the theif who died. It's a sad truth.
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Hoong, Malaysia 10:39AM (9/12/2006)
Hmm.. Sorta remembered The Hulk movie when I read this, where the green giant was sprayed with some liquid oozy liquid which quickly bloats to trap him.
=|
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Rick F 7:44AM (9/13/2006)
Have you ever had a car stolen?
I always say - "They used to hang horse theifs!"
But, that aside, I used to own a used car lot. over the 20 years or so, I have had over 30 cars stolen (only one of which was never recovered!) not to mention the vandalism, wheel & tire theft etc..., which drove me insane. I would lie in bed at night thinking of anti- theft & vandal systems.
About 6 years ago, I even installed a device that would set off a stink bomb inside my truck - smoke would roll out from under the dash making the theif think that the vehicle was malfunctioning not much just enough smoke to make any one get out. It was accidently set off, the smell of smoke is still in the vehicle, to the point no one wants to get in it!
My expeirience - if some one wants it bad enough, they'll get it - use "The Club" or a similar device, have locking lugs on wheels, install an aftermarket security device with an anti carjack feature, don't store stuff in your car! Maybe the theif will move onto the car next to yours that has the breifcase on the seat and no "Club"
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Keith 9:18AM (9/19/2006)
According to Fujitsu:
Regarding the question which you inquired of FUJITSU,
we do not relate to the blurb at autoblog.com.
We confirmed with FUJITSU TEN Corp. of AMERICA, they do not relate to the burb either.
Unfortuneately, we can not provide you any infromation about this article.
Regards,
Ayamai Kakuno
Does anybody know if this story is even true then???
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Frank4Cars 9:38AM (9/19/2006)
http://patft.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph-Parser?Sect1=PTO2&Sect2=HITOFF&u=%2Fnetahtml%2FPTO%2Fsearch-adv.htm&r=11&f=G&l=50&d=PTXT&p=1&p=1&S1=(polystyrene+AND+fujitsu)&OS=polystyrene+AND+fujitsu&RS=(polystyrene+AND+fujitsu)
Here is the patent info.
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Terry 3:47AM (9/20/2006)
Interesting yeah, but until some automaker buys the idea, it's still up to us to keep our vehicles safe from car theft.
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