The Pain Maximiser

The US military is funding development of an energy-pulse weapon, designed to deliver a jolt of excruciating pain from up to 2 kilometres away. Intended for use against rioters, it is meant to leave victims physically unharmed. The device fires a laser pulse that generates a burst of expanding plasma when it hits something solid, like a person, producing pain and temporary paralysis. Right now, researchers are attempting to optimise pulse parameters to evoke peak nociceptor activation or, to put it in plain English, cause the maximum pain possible. The potential for abuse of such a device have not gone unremarked