Boeing has been granted a patent for a semi futuristic piece of technology to help protect our troops in just about any kind of vehicle. It detects explosions near a vehicle, and then quickly heats up the air or water between the vehicle and the blast. The heat creates a plasma shield that is more dense than normal air, adding to the vehicle’s protection.
This is a temporary superheated parcel of air created with a laser, microwave or electrical arc, researchers believe that the shockwave would, in theory dissipate once it hit the plasma field, leaving whatever was on the other side unaffected, or for the blast to at least be reduced.
However, this blast shield does not protect against shrapnel or other debris flung out by an explosion due to the sensors that are activated by activated from the original blast. Researchers continue to go back to science fiction movies with working tractor beams and mounted lasers. This technology seems to not be too far off.
