A prototype device being developed by engineers at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory may soon help police neutralize and apprehend urban snipers, like the monster currently victimizing the Washington D.C. area.

Originally designed for the U.S. Military, the sniper detector, called LifeGuard [QuickTime movie - 1.0 Mb] [MPEG movie - 1.8 Mb] allows authorities to instantaneously pinpoint the source of sniper fire. 

The LifeGuard system tracks the path of the bullet back to the precise location of the shooter, takes a photograph of the sniper and can even direct lethal or non-lethal return fire -- all within one second of the sniper's shot. Under optimal conditions, LifeGuard can even detect the location of a sniper before the bullet reaches its target, according to designers.

LifeGuard's sensors first locate the bullet by detecting its unique sonic signal. A positioning computer then calculates the bullet's trajectory and retraces its path back to the shooter. In demonstrations, .223 caliber bullets are fired by a hidden shooter from an M-16 military rifle. As LifeGuard's sensors detect the bullets, a video screen displays the path of each bullet back to its source, and a red rectangle outlines the exact position of the "sniper."

"We think the potential is there for Lifeguard to have a revolutionary impact on crime prevention," said Tom Karr, head of the LifeGuard development team at Livermore. "Anybody who shoots at you from any direction would be immediately located. The aggressor can no longer hide."

With sensors that can be hand-held, as well as mounted on rifles, buildings or vehicles, the LifeGuard system offers many potential civilian applications. LifeGuard could be attached to police cars and helicopters, as well as permanently installed on buildings in high-potential target areas, like schools, commercial parking lots and areas of public gatherings.

LifeGuard is currently undergoing testing at Livermore Lab's Site 300 facility, located about 60 miles southeast of San Francisco. 

About Site 300
During the Cold War, Lawrence Livermore's Site 300 testing facility became know as the world's most sophisticated bomb lab. Advanced microchips used to control nuclear missile targeting, firing and guidance supercomputers, as well as the first submarine-launched ballistic missile were designed at Site 300. 

Since the end of the Cold War, Site 300 scientists have contracted with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Energy to develop explosives and weapons systems for 21st century conflicts and the war on terror. 

Equipped with the most modern laser and optical systems, super high-speed cameras and one of the world's strongest bomb testing chambers, Livermore scientists are developing devastating "smart" bombs capable of traveling over six miles per second and detonating with a precision of as little as a billionth of a second. 

Along with its role in the U.S. Military, Site 300 also hosts civilian police department SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) teams conducting advanced weapons development, testing and training.

Here are some interesting links for exploring the research going on at Site 300:

• World-class center for explosives making and testing
• Sophisticated testing for diverse non-defense needs
• Environmental concerns and research