Shocking Clothing

harmonics writes "This is absolutely hysterical, it seems a "No-Contact Jacket" has been developed for women by MIT. This thing carries enough voltage to knock you on your duff (80,000 volts), and is decently stylish too. Now to find out how I can get my wife one. Just don't wear it in the rain!" The real question is whether the submitter knew the origin and full meaning of the word "hysterical".

Comments

Wearing it inside out

[drwtsn32]

Maybe this will help remove people from the gene-pool who insist on wearing clothes inside out.

I'll bet..

[dr_dank]

it'll take care of those pesky RFIDs in clothing these days.

Cruel Intentions...

[IpsissimusMarr]

I can just imagine women having way too much fun with this sort of thing.

Buy a designer Shock-Blouse(tm) and hit the clubs. Have a contest with friends to see how many guys you can knock unconcious in a single night.

Re:Cruel Intentions...

[captain_craptacular]

Yes, but women are far too nice for that.

The jacket is designed for women only. Its small size and narrow armholes are intended to prevent men from using it as an offensive weapon. Whiton conceded that women could use it offensively, and that it would be hard for police to arrest anyone wearing one.

Men on the other hand, can't be trusted. Yet this isn't sexist somehow?

Re:Cruel Intentions...

[fubar1971]

Imagine if they could incorporate this technology into a G-String! You would have a modern, state-of-the-art, 21st century, chastity belt :)

Re:Cruel Intentions...

[Anonymous Coward]

Male sexism is present all over the place.

In Seattle, there are billboards done by Dodge announcing "Gets more done than most husbands".

Can you imagine if someone went up there and replaced "husbands" with "wives"? There'd be such a HUGE backlash.

Of course, women have been and still are discriminated and such due to their sex, but it's less so all the time. However, this sort of thing only serves to spread the gap (pun not intended).

How long

[Timesprout]

Before we geek geeks trying to reverse engineer this jacket to help them attract members of the opposite sex ?

Re:One question:

[jandrese]

It would probably involve readinging the instruction manual that comes with the jacket, as skill similar to reading the article.

The jacket has a switch in the sleeve you have to hit to turn it on. The idea is to only turn it on when you feel threatened, not to leave it running 24/7.

Re:One question:

[RealityMogul]

Reading instructions? Do you know what website you're posting on right now?

Okay....

[foxtrot]

The story has three icons next to it.

Technology. OK. I get that.

Toys. OK. Maybe.

Entertainment. That's twisted...

I dunno about this...

[Gudlyf]

It sure seems both the attacker and the attackee are enjoying this (taken from the article) a bit too much.

Re:Duh ...

[stratjakt]

It's both.

There's enough amperage in a AA battery to stop your heart, but not enough voltage potential for it to travel from one fingertip to another.

By the same token, 50 amps at a couple picovolts wouldnt do anything either.

That 300mA at 80,000 volts could kill you, because the current could then reach your heart or cause your diaphragm to convulse.

People with weak hearts or other conditions could easily be killed by one of these. Thats why Tasers are illegal in many places.

I see nothing but trouble the first time some helpless little old lady brushes against one of these chicks in the subway and winds up dead.

I dont know if a prosecuter would look like walking around with a garment on thats potentially lethal to anyone who touches it would count as "reckless disregard for human life" or "negligence".

Re:Do we really want this?

[bravehamster]

Did you even read the article??

The jacket has to be unlocked and charged up by holding down a button before it can harm anyone. That takes care of your automatic discharge. Add to that the *visible* arcs of electricity and the loud buzzing noise associated with said arcs, and I think that pretty much covers any sort of warning required by law.

Re:Wait and See

[stratjakt]

No you can only use as much force as is necessary to protect your own life. You cant murder someone to stop him from carrying off your TV.

If the burglar enters your home armed (most dont - 'rob a house with gun in hand, get 10 to 20 in the can'), all bets are off. Then its self defense.

It's generally a case by case thing, but it make sense. Burglar or not, a human life is worth more than your piggy bank or xbox.

Re:Get one for your wife??!

[Rick.C]

It'll put the zing back in your marriage!

stun guns are not that effective

[The Tyro]

All this jacket is going to do is make the rapist jerk his hand back for a second... it won't knock anyone out.

Stun guns in general are a poor weapon... people that advocate them instead of more-effective weapons, typically have another agenda. You really need to hold a conventional stun gun on a major muscle group for a prolonged period of time (multiple seconds, sometimes 8-10 seconds) before you can even hope to incapacitate someone. Now, tasers are a very different animal, and slightly more effective, but they are a projectile-firing weapon (darts with wires trailing behind), and are designed to deliver a prolonged shock, at the discretion of the wielder.

Some will even shake off a taser... Rodney King was still game after getting hit twice (not to open up THAT can of worms... just making a statement on the effectiveness of the taser).

Some people push electrical weapons like they are some kind of panacea. Look, folks... there's a reason why cops still carry guns, and it's not because they refuse to use a more-effective alternative... it's because there's NO substitute.

I have to admit though... the jacket is sexy... mmmm....

Life imitates Dilbert?

[kent_eh]

Dilbert already invented Shock Pants almost 3 years ago.

Re:Get one for your wife??!

[Trolling4Dollars]

Wife: "Honey! I'm home from work."
Hubby: "Hey sweetie!"

Hubby: Aggggh!!!!

Yes... this is a GRAND idea. I guess there is no limit to fear mongering for profit. I'm not saying these things don't happen (my wife had a man try to force himself on her), but I think money would be better spent on self defense training than that jacket.

Yellow Alert

[dfn5]

You're walking down a dark alley at 3am. Suddenly the HUD in your glasses displays PROXIMITY WARNING!! You whisper "Hull plating to maximum. Legs... evasive maneuvers". You take a hit to your hind quarter but your assailant loses his impulse manifold giving you the opportunity to make your escape. You emerge from the alley unscathed. Condition Green.

Completely illegal in MA, and hence, at MIT

[SuperBanana]

Maybe the MIT boys shoulda thought of the fact that they're now in posession of an illegal item. From a self-defense-widgets store's "where you can legally have the stuff we sell" page:

Massachusetts State Law. Ann. Laws of Massachusetts. Chapter 140. Sale of Firearms. Section 131J: Sale or possession of electrical weapons; penalties. Section 131J. No person shall sell, offer for sale or possess a portable device or weapon from which an electric current, impulse, wave or beam may be directed, which current, impulse, wave or beam is designed to incapacitate temporarily, injure or kill. Whoever violates this provision of this section shall be punished by a fine of not less than five hundred nor more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than two years in a jail or house of correction, or both.

Clever idea. Lousy product. Snake oil.

[Walter Wart]

OK, a bit of background here. My wife and I have been adjunct professors of PE. Published in journals and everything. We specialize in crime prevention and women's self defense. And we test out a lot of self defense products. This critique is by no means exhaustive, but it should give people some things to think about. For more background on where we are coming from look at some of our class notes.

1. It won't work Stun guns have a poor record in police work. Even the manufacturers say that you should hold the stun gun against the eyes, throat or genitals for 4-5 seconds. I maintain that if you can hold a shocker against someone's goolies for the count of four you aren't in a fight. Look at the video on the home site. It doesn't incapacitate. It just gives a little spark.
   
2. It is using an inappropriately low level of force for the threat it is designed to defend against Without pussyfooting what are we talking about? Rape. Armed Robbery. Abduction. Ask any trained police officer - the guys who carry clubs, guns and a lot of training in unarmed tactics - what they would do if a bigger, stronger person was attempting to do these to them. They will mostly say "Shoot him". What we are talking about with this jacket is the equivalent of slapping someone in the face. It doesn't go nearly far enough for what it's supposed to do or what women will buy it for.
   
3. It encourages an attitude of helplessness and dependency The most important thing, in the end the only vital thing in self defense is attitude. The attitude that you will do whatever you need to to keep yourself safe. This sort of device fosters dependency and complacency. The woman is led to believe that her magic jacket will keep her safe from harm. When it doesn't (and it won't) she will be left for vital seconds without an idea of what to do.
   
4. It provides very limited protection Even if this device worked it would provide protection against a very limited range of things - grabs to the arms and torso. Not against strikes. Not against attacks to the head. Not against being dragged down (one of the most common attacks against women).
   
5. Reliability We have no idea about battery life. How long does this work for in active duty? How long does it hold its charge? How well does it work after the normal wear and tear that a real garment goes through? How prone is it to shorts?
   
6. Bad investment This thing costs over a thousand dollars. For that kind of money a woman could get extensive training from some of the best in the world like Awakening the Warrior Within or Modern Warrior, Marty and Gila Hayes or Massad Ayoob with enough left over to buy a nice pistol.
   

I could go on. But you get the idea. This is a clever hack. But it is not the sort of self defense tool I would feel comfortable recommending to most women.

In other news ...

[Anonymous Coward]

Muggers start wearing gloves

How do they test this thing?

[MongooseCN]

What I always wonder is how they test the effectiveness of these things. How do they know that it's going to knock people out?

Bob: Uuughh.. what day is it?..
Tester: Grab her again Bob.
Bob: What? Who?
Tester: The lady in front of you.
Bob: Uh, ok like here... ZZZZZZZ AAAAARGH!!
person crumples to the floor
Tester: Wake up Bob.
kicks person lying unconcious on the floor
Tester: We pay by the hour here.