Chinese Scientists Have Developed the World's First Destructive Laser Rifle (popsci.com)

PopularScience: Chinese scientists have developed the world's first destructive, man-portable laser weapon. However, there is more to the story of this cool looking, but "less than lethal" directed energy device. The laser rifle is the ZKZM-500, developed by Xian Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics in Xian, Shaanxi. It's manufactured by the Institute's subsidiary, ZKZM Laser. Weighing at 6 pounds (about the weight of a typical assault rifle), the ZKZM-500 has a range of 2,600 feet. The ZKZM-500 uses a lithium battery with enough power for 1000 two second shots (keep in mind, those 1000 shots may not be at full power). According to Institute designers, its laser is powerful enough to instantly scar human skin and tissue. It can also ignite clothing, knock a small drone out of the sky, or even ignite a fuel tank. That would place its power output around 100-500 watts (most surgical lasers top out at 100 watts).

Comments

Re:Lasers are dumb.

[50000BTU_barbecue]

Wow you can predict precisely where the laser will hit and have the mirror at the ready? Or you're simply walking down the battlefield with a full dress mirror??

Re:Lasers are dumb.

[50000BTU_barbecue]

Wow, it's almost like you picked up on my sarcasm.

Re:Some country is going to scream, "our IP, our I

[pr0nbot]

Fortunately laser rifles are exceptionally effective against straw men.

Re: Lasers are dumb.

[UnConeD]

Just imagine how fabulous the soldiers will be, covered in sequins.

Nigh impossible

[guruevi]

- The laser module - sure it exists but it is going to be big and need water cooling if it's going to be of any use
- The weight - the module itself for a 500W laser comes in ~5kg. Even if they somehow got the module to fit in the 6kg they claim it weighs, the batteries and watercooling will pack on an additional 6-10kg.
- The power requirements ~0.3 kWh (not accounting for losses from water cooling and other gear), that requires a small motorcycle battery, even if made from Lithium, not something you easily carry around in a 6kg package.

Re:Not even remotely close to 'first'

[Oswald McWeany]

1955??? In a backpack? The first operational laser was in 1960 in a lab.
http://www.press.uchicago.edu/...

Yes, but time travel was invented in 2045.

You don't know the first things about laser rifles

[Cajun Hell]

All it takes to thwart any laser based weaponry is to come covered in something that reflects and scatters light well.

That's why these people made a laser rifle. The rifling causes the photons to have a twisting polarity, which allows them to drill through reflective surfaces.