Spacescifi Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 (edited) I saw a youtube video where a guy and his buddies made a contest for creative ways to shoot down small drones. One of them had a bucket of a salty liquid solution that conducts electricity, which was rigged to a water spraying machine that could shoot high. Electricity was conducted from the machine and not long after the water hit the drone it fell from the sky. Anyway it dawned on me that such liquid/electronically conductive technology has niche defense applications. It would be quite practical for property defense... so long all you are facing is guys with guns. You could hid away multiple high powered liquid spewing cannons and the moment gunmen approach unleash torrents of electrically conducted liquid solution at them. Granted I know guys could wear a metal suit to protect them, but chances are high... especially in an urban setting, that they would not be prepared for this anyway. Besides the fact that liquid splashes everywhere and unless you are totally convered up (including your face) you're getting shocked. Militarily it is not as useful since air forces would just strike it from a safe distance. But against infantry without protection from electrical shock it could be quite effective albeit at shorter range than guns. The other reason it's impractical is that liquid is not compact and requires a lot of storage, something you don't want to mess with on the battlefield. But for static defense of property, provided there is no air support to take out the liquid cannons they could be effective. Come to think of it... it would be perfect for stopping the Somali pirates in speedboats. It's one thing to get hit by water cannons, but quite another when it's shooting a special solution that is designed to conduct electricity to shock you. Seagoing ships have room for such technology and could be adapted to make use of it. Whether it is lethal or not just depends on how much electricity you're conducting I guess. So assuming one wanted to stun a bunch of assailants at once Star Trek style you could actually do it. Just not with phasers but with electrically conductive liquid autocannons. Thoughts? Edited March 2 by Spacescifi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
magnemoe Posted March 2 Share Posted March 2 Like peeing on an electric fence I think it would work pretty well. Now this would require grounding so I don't see how it worked with the drone but an conductive liquid would likely short of at least the cheaper ones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spacescifi Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 (edited) 3 hours ago, magnemoe said: Like peeing on an electric fence I think it would work pretty well. Now this would require grounding so I don't see how it worked with the drone but an conductive liquid would likely short of at least the cheaper ones. Especially inside buildings for security. Have people or robbers going inside trying to steal something? It's going to more difficult knowing they are either are going to have to use someone else who is authorized or wear a metal suit to enter unauthorized areas. Edited March 2 by Spacescifi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spacescifi Posted March 2 Author Share Posted March 2 4 hours ago, magnemoe said: Like peeing on an electric fence I think it would work pretty well. Now this would require grounding so I don't see how it worked with the drone but an conductive liquid would likely short of at least the cheaper ones. Also still better than plasma weaponry for effectiveness lol. Also not a gun... so cool and unique. Like the electric version of a flamethrower, without the flame and a possibility of not being lethal. I could see guys with backpack tanks and spray guns firing this, but it would only last seconds before running out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RCgothic Posted Monday at 10:16 AM Share Posted Monday at 10:16 AM An interesting concept. Does it depend on water penetration for effectiveness? Fairly trivial to make IP67 drones. If it's more like making a conduction path for a bolt of lightning, yeah that becomes a case of thermal and electrical shielding, which is difficult to incorporate on a light drone. I imagine you'd also have to be careful about collateral damage to neighbouring properties and rights of way. A lighting bolt presumably has to arc from the device, through the target, then to ground. If the ground is your neighbour's car they're going to be annoyed. I would have thought the range would be fairly limited as well. It takes a lot of power to project water particularly far. And if you've got a water cannon that can shoot a substantial distance then, well, you've got a water cannon. It's difficult for drones to both resist incoming impacts and fly in water. Also, does it work in the rain? Indoor defenses may need to consider alternatives to water for fire suppression as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDE Posted Monday at 02:55 PM Share Posted Monday at 02:55 PM At the very least, this idea isn't new. I remember it from the 'aughts, when it was mentioned as an alternative to laser-induced plasma, and TASER wires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthgently Posted Monday at 04:53 PM Share Posted Monday at 04:53 PM On 3/1/2025 at 11:19 PM, Spacescifi said: Seagoing ships have room for such technology and could be adapted to make use of it. Anti-piracy would be the killer app for this. Otherwise it is hard to imagine using this level of lethal force when lethal force is justified that other existing responses wouldn’t be better. But as you infer, a ship off the coast of Somalia has big payload capacity and and endless supply of saltwater. This would be an interesting anti-boarding tool in the tool kit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DDE Posted Monday at 06:32 PM Share Posted Monday at 06:32 PM 1 hour ago, darthgently said: Anti-piracy would be the killer app for this. Otherwise it is hard to imagine using this level of lethal force when lethal force is justified that other existing responses wouldn’t be better. But as you infer, a ship off the coast of Somalia has big payload capacity and and endless supply of saltwater. This would be an interesting anti-boarding tool in the tool kit This seems redundant to just using a water cannon. A big water cannon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthgently Posted Monday at 07:37 PM Share Posted Monday at 07:37 PM 1 hour ago, DDE said: This seems redundant to just using a water cannon. A big water cannon. If you don’t think a water cannon with high voltage in the stream isn’t turning a water cannon up to 11 wrt lethality then I’m not sure how to respond, lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spacescifi Posted Monday at 10:46 PM Author Share Posted Monday at 10:46 PM (edited) 5 hours ago, darthgently said: Anti-piracy would be the killer app for this. Otherwise it is hard to imagine using this level of lethal force when lethal force is justified that other existing responses wouldn’t be better. But as you infer, a ship off the coast of Somalia has big payload capacity and and endless supply of saltwater. This would be an interesting anti-boarding tool in the tool kit Evem if they somehow manage to board the ship they are still screwed if the ship has anti-personnel electric liquid spewing defense systems installed on all along the deck. Yet I think were this technology REALLY shines is it's ability to stun an entire group without killing them. Which could allow you to safely board the pirate vessel and take them as prisoners. Edited Monday at 10:48 PM by Spacescifi Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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