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Boeing Patents Star Wars Style Force Field Technology
An anonymous reader was one of many to point out that Boeing doesn't want to rely on a sad devotion to an ancient religion to protect aircraft and conjure up the stolen data tapes, but plans on using force fields instead. "Boeing's new patent may let the force be with you even in real life. The aircraft and defense company has taken a cue from science fiction with its plan to develop a Star Wars style force field that would use energy to deflect any potential damage. Just liking the luminescent shields seen in the film, Boeing's "Method and system for shock wave attenuation via electromagnetic arc" could provide a real-life layer of protection from nearby impacts to targets. The downside: It won't protect from direct hits."
Well, in Star Wars they are called deflector shields, after all.
This one's pretty simple. Use an electric arc to destroy the air between you and the approaching shockwave. This leaves no medium for the shockwave to propagate. I wouldn't assume too strongly don't have a working prototype.
Star Wars features force fields that can, for example, hold the air in a spacecraft hangar even while a spacecraft flies out.
Boeing has developed a technology where lasers fire a burst of energy to turn air into plasma, causing a shock wave. When sensors detect an incoming pressure wave (from an explosion or whatever) this system creates a counter-wave.
Even when I squint and wave my hands a lot, those two things don't look much alike.
The prior art on this is not Star Wars, but reactive tank armor.
lf(1): it's like ls(1) but sorts filenames by extension, tersely
In the prequels, we saw them on the Naboo fighter ships. Also, don't forget the destroyer droids with their bubble shields, and the Gungans with their animal-mounted battlefield shields, and even hand-held shields. There are plenty more examples from the next two movies as well.
In the original trilogy, I don't recall seeing the shields themselves, but both the rebels (on Hoth) and the empire (on Endor) protected their assets with large, ground-based shield generators. There are also references in the dialogue as well ("Switch your deflectors on - double front!").
You really blocked out a lot, didn't you...
Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
Its certainly not however a stealth technology,
I'd assume you don't need stealth technology when you're at the point of deflecting enemy fire. They obviously already know where you are.