So you did something wrong, something illegal and or just downright rude. Let’s face it. You are probably heading to the pokey, the big house or some other euphemism for prison. On the way there, however, you’ll have some time to reflect in the back of a police car. This time will be spent, more often than not, handcuffed. This is story as old as the modern police state itself. Nothing changes in this scenario. The handcuffs used by the police date back to the 1800s, after all. Isn’t it about time these objects of restraint catch up with the times?
If you said yes to that last question, please continue reading with glee. If you said no, however, you might want to skip to the next article. Handcuffs are in the midst of getting a very 21st century makeover. This just-patented design combines those standard hand restraints with electric shock and chemical deterrents. Yeah, cuffs just got a lot more hardcore.
These smart handcuffs can be controlled wirelessly much like a stun belt, allowing the officer to trigger a taser-like shock even if they aren’t right next to the suspect. The handcuffs can also be programmed to trigger automatically if certain pre-determined conditions are met, like walking too far from the officer at hand or coming to close to a restricted area. Are your Orwell sensors buzzing yet? It gets worse or better depending on your perspective. These handcuffs can also inject a sedative to the wearer, or even release a knockout gas cloud to stop them from escaping. Let’s not ever do anything wrong again. Deal? Deal.
This is just a patent design for now, and as such, won’t be rolling into production anytime soon. We’ll let you know when they do. Unless, that is, we are currently being sedated via knockout gas or being tasered remotely.
