Variable Lethality Rifle

Police sometimes use rubber bullets to subdue protesters or rioters without killing them. Unfortunately, rubber bullets can still kill people, especially at close range. In response to this problem, Lund Technologies has developed a rifle that will automatically determine the range of the target and slow down the velocity of the bullet (fired with compressed air) as needed in order to reduce the likelihood of killing the target:

“Less-lethal,” of course, is a term that replaced “non-lethal” because it turns out most rounds being billed as non-lethal – like rubber bullets for instance – are actually quite fatal at close range. Too keep less-lethal intentions from turning into lethal actions, the LVVWS is equipped with a range finder that locates the target and calculates distance; if the shooter is working in less-lethal mode, the rifle ratchets down the muzzle velocity of the round, maintaining its less-lethal status even in close quarters.

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2010-03/variable-velocity-rifle-puts-less-less-lethal | Photo: Lund Technologies