Sharp Rubber Duck

Top 5 Next-Gen Cop Car Gadgets

November 19, 2007

Hollywood and CSI notwithstanding, enforcing the law isn’t a particularly high-tech endeavor. But a piecemeal revolution is underway, with individual agencies testing a variety of gadgets for their patrol vehicles.

1. Carbon Motors E7

The E7 doesn’t exist, but if police agencies nationwide know what’s good for them, it will. It would be the world’s first purpose-built police car, a diesel-powered Dodge Charger look-alike with a laundry list of built-to-order options, such as armored front doors and dashboards (capable of stopping 9-mm rounds) and forward-looking infrared cameras. But the biggest potential innovation here is the business model. Law enforcement agencies don’t buy in bulk,” says William Li, chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based Carbon Motors. “They have no economies of scale.”

For major automakers, there’s no profit in designing a niche product like a purpose-built squad car. So agencies continue to buy standard Crown Victorias or Chevy Tahoes and then install aftermarket lights, sirens, laptop docks and other gear. As a leaner, niche-vehicle startup, Carbon Motors—started by ex-Ford executives—wants to deliver a high-performance, fully integrated patrol vehicle for roughly the same price as the retrofitted models currently on the road. In theory, by standardizing the installation process for the various police-friendly options, and using newer manufacturing processes (including thermoplastics instead of paint for customized color schemes), Carbon Motors could squeak out a profit that, as Li calls them, “legacy automakers” couldn’t.

The E7 would go from 0 to 60 mph in 6 seconds, with a top speed of 155 mph, and a slew of humble-sounding improvements, like seats that can accommodate radios and other bulky equipment. According to Li, the E7 would start in the high-20s, climbing up to as much as $70,000 with options like license-plate-reading cameras and even WMD sensors. In the long run, the E7 could prove more cost-effective than current patrol cars: Carbon Motors claims it will be 40 percent more fuel efficient, with a life span of 250,000 miles (most models used as police cars are expected to last for 70,000 miles).

Short-Term Impact: Carbon Motors is still on the hunt for funding. According to Li, a “large financing transaction” could lead to a working E7 within three years.

 

 

2. Project54 Voice-Command System

Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have developed a system that lets officers use voice commands to run a license plate, turn on the lights and siren, and even clock a speeding car. The Project54 system (the name is a dig at the fact that current cop cars are about as low-tech as they were in the old TV show, Car 54 Where Are You?) is a relatively simple piece of software. It works on any moderately powerful laptop or tablet running Windows 2000, XP or Vista, and it integrates existing equipment, such as lights and radios. And strictly speaking, Project54 is dirt cheap: $500 per agency for the software license, no matter how many vehicles it runs on (although it could cost up to $4000 per vehicle, depending on how outdated a department’s equipment is).

Here’s how it works: An officer is deciding whether to pull over a suspicious car. Holding down the system’s push-to-talk button, he can read off the car’s license plate to search for known warrants. Without taking his eyes off the road, he can listen to the results. If the car suddenly takes off, the officer can say, “Pursuit,” activating the lights and siren, as well as his own vehicle’s GPS tracking system. If the chase takes him through various counties, he can switch radio frequencies with simple voice prompts, and tell the computer to log specific events, noting the GPS coordinates where something was thrown from the fleeing car, or where it struck another vehicle.

It gets even more futuristic: A handful of officers are testing Project54 with PDAs, checking a driver’s license on the handheld’s screen and running voice commands through the PDA’s mic. The system has also been installed on six motorcycles, using helmet mics, and also has handlebar-mounted, WiFi-enabled touchscreens, which can be detached and used up to 300 ft. from a bike-mounted Panasonic Toughbook. No specialized gear, no experimental hardware—just a smart application.

According to William Lenharth, an associate professor at the University of New Hampshire and the co-director of Project54, the system accurately responds to voice commands 95 percent of the time. And after four years on the road, its only vulnerability appears to be the PCs it runs on. “The computer is the most unreliable part,” Lenharth says, “and it’s pretty reliable.” A dozen or so Project54-enabled laptops failed when officers in New Hampshire turned them on in subzero temperatures.

Short-Term Impact: Project54 is currently installed on about 1000 vehicles, most of which are in New Hampshire. But Lenharth insists demand is increasing rapidly. “We aren’t selling anything,” he says. “This is basically an open-source system.” The Texas State Police, for example, are looking into outfitting some 2000 vehicles with the voice-command technology. The Coast Guard is currently testing an installation on a boat, using a waterproof tablet, and a Project54-enabled all-terrain vehicle is being tested by the National Guard.

 

 

3. Automatic License Plate Recognition Cameras

In any appraisal of high-tech policing, you’re bound to brush up against Big Brother-worthy technology. Case in point: Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR), which is essentially cameras that run every single plate they see. According to Brian Shockley, vice president of marketing for Tennessee-based PIPS Technology, the leading manufacturer of ALPR, the most common configuration is a three-camera system. All of the cameras have a fixed position and focal length, with two facing forward—one scanning the lane to the right of the car, the other scanning the lane to the left—and a side-mounted camera intended for parking lots. Each camera sends a constant stream of infrared and full-color images back to a processor in the trunk, which searches them against current warrant lists, Amber Alerts and other records that are updated daily. “The officer gets results in near real time,” Shockley says, “or about 20 milliseconds.”

The cameras work at high speeds, with 180-mph differentials. So whether a car blazes by a stationary police car at 140 mph, or passes in an oncoming lane while both cars are doing 80 mph, the system should pick up the suspect’s plates.

But here’s where things get creepy: Since each agency determines how long to keep the reams of data collected daily by each ALPR system, investigators could potentially search through thousands of drivers in a given area, during a given period, to help track down a hit-and-run driver. And PIPS sees the technology being installed on nonpatrol vehicles as well, such as street cleaners. Nothing, in fact, is sacred.

Short-Term Impact: PIPS hasn’t provided exact numbers, but despite its relatively high price tag—a three-camera system costs around $25,000—ALPR systems are already in use across the United States, including agencies in California, Arizona, Texas and New Jersey.

 

 

4. StarChase GPS Launcher

This system is behind schedule, the plan was for a deployment by the end of this year—but Virginia-based StarChase now claims that the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is closing in on the final stage of testing, which could put a deployed GPS launcher on the road early next year.

The purpose of StarChase is to stop high-speed pursuits by letting officers launch a sticky GPS tracker onto a fleeing vehicle. Savvy criminals, particularly ones who notice the green laser sight or hear the car-mounted air cannon go off, could pull over and rip off the transponder. But by then, the police would have had time to set up roadblocks and choppers, closing the net with less risk of a pursuit-ending crash.

Short-Term Impact: Everything is riding on the L.A. test. If StarChase is considered effective in one of the most chase-heavy regions in the country, other agencies are likely to start their own field-tests.

 

 

5. Rumbler Intersection Clearing System

Whether it’s due to cranked-up radios or a plummeting sense of civic duty, today’s drivers are apparently less likely to get out of the way of a police siren. Taking a page from thunderous, bass-heavy car audio systems, Chicago-based Federal Signal created the Rumbler. The “Intersection Clearing System” consists of two 8-in. woofers and an amp, adding a low-frequency signal to an existing siren’s high-pitched wail.

According to Joseph Bader, vice president of engineering for Mobile Systems at Federal Signal, the Rumbler was designed to operate at 180 to 360 cycles per second. Sirens, by comparison, are in the 500- to 2000-cycle range, and music is either high in cycles, or extremely low (those bassed-up audio systems are buzzing at 120 cycles or less). The Rumbler’s range is not only pretty different, it’s pretty disconcerting, which is what makes it effective. And since the system is essentially duplicating the siren’s existing signal at a much lower frequency, listeners quickly realize that the vibrations they’re feeling are mapped to the rise and fall of the approaching siren.

In most cases, officers turn on their Rumblers for a single 10-second interval, which is long enough to clear an intersection or a jammed-up stretch of highway. The effective range is up to 200 ft. ahead of the police vehicle. But Bader says the system is more useful in close quarters.

Short-Term Impact: The Rumbler is being adopted by agencies on the East coast, particularly in metropolitan areas, such as Washington, D.C. The system’s simple installation and incredibly low cost—around $600 per car—could make it a fixture in city-based fleets within a few years.

 

 

Be very careful what you wish for......

Reader Comments

 

1. Oh ya, I can see me telling the cops that they are going to have the same car for the next 250,ooo miles. They are gettine cranky about a car at 75,ooo. Any platform that is dodge is trouble. Too, too many problems getting parts and service is out the window. If you want to spend lots of time at the dealership? Buy a dodge. A police car HAS to be rear wheel drive. And cheap because that car is going to take a lot of beating and needs to be replaced by 75,ooo. Parts have to be right thier at the counter with service top notch. NO EXCUSES. That includes suppliers for rear plastic seats, center consoles for radios, rear trunk shelfs. Every generation of police car has new tech stuff, and this happens every year.Both from the car manf. & the poilice community as well. A commitmtnt to one car for 250,000 miles is unrealistic.By the time the car got to 150,000? You would be driving an antique. Wanna do something for the poilice dept? Make a drop in total interior for crown vic and tahoe that is changeable for future years and uses every sq. inch of room in the vehicle. Make AVAILABLE replacement parts for up grades and repairs. Any car/truck parked out side my shop weighting for parts or repair? Is not serving the city.Thats why replacement parts/service are critical to the operation of a police fleet. Build along thes lines: Start Fast Stop Fast Crash Well

2. A handcuffs with a GPS so that cops will track where the bad guys went in case they ran away.

3. A gun that can be selected from stun to lethal.

4. it will bring sanity in our roads

5. what would be great if we had a system of shutting down the computer of the vehicle we are chasing so as to kill its engine...

6. High speed, Hi Tech, good looks & of course, bulletproof cars so that cops will not look stupid while chasing bad guys.

7. More High-tech toys for the police state? Not on MY tax dollar!

8. Can any of you guys build a spy cam in a form of a UFO so that every hostage taking. Just like a size of an ordinary plate or smaller, these gadgets can determine how many hostage takers and hostages are there. And also, it has to be equiped with the latest innovation, like xray, camera, heat sensors, microphones etc. These will serve as cops eyes and ears from above.

9. I work with MPDC and boy you have no idea how nice it would be if they purchase Police packaged Chargers for us.

10. The Utah state police tested some similar features several years ago, However I never found their report or findings. Voice recognition software for reports and generating realtime reports of radio and telephone conversations is being experimented with at this time. Many 911 centers would like the ability to use voice recognition in the manner stated = being studied in some localities, however as far as I know not by any of the major players in PS< FS < EMS field operations or dispatch working on this at this time. We are sing the MS software and Dragon nAturally speaking to run the test piolet - it is still very basic and needs to be integrated into other programs - as in your report Motorola. In that instance if an officer changes frequencies by voice that shoul also anounce it to the command / control center for the unit and also change on of their talkgroups to remain in contact. Ken Graalum, EMT I work with several cities and consultants and am looking forward to some of these ideas being put into use. The placement of the GPS unit on a fleeing vehicle would tag it in the same way as vehicles now are tagged through antitheft gps units, Good articles. We are currently looking at using the laptop to record via cams and audio feeds a record of the activity of the officer and information on the vehcile which would be down loaded via WiFi hotspots in the city. Yhe Utah

11. Being one who has enforced the law before, this sounds like a great idea, but the cost is just ridicoulous, for a black and white that has some fancy new whisltes (that's an expression) i don't think it's cost effective enough for any police departments because we already have funding problems, and new regular cars already put most departments under, so i don't think we'll see this happen for a long time if ever. It will be a progressive change. I digress.

12. I was thinking up the GPS canon a few years ago. Good work. in WW2 military used sticky bombs to take out tanks. a thing of explosives in a sock with grease and slap onto enemy tanks

13. Many of the policemen were beaten up by some of ruthless gangs. I wish you could build a tough or bulletproof car so that when these animals came back, your brave cops will have something to shelter The safety of your cops is also your concern. These guys are protecting you with their lives, in return, build something to protect them.

14. I wish you guys could invent a xray gun or a size of a laptop but it can xray a man for lets say 5 yards or so whether its holding a gun or something that can attack or hurt someone.

15. Oh, great! Just what we need! Yet another device on a cop car designed to freak people out and cause an accident. Rumbler, thy name is revenue!

16. Since you guys have the GPS Launcher, I hope you modify it and make it sticky or magnetic enough to hold on when you aim on a chasing car. You know, like aiming a sticky gun to an enemy so that anywhere he goes, you'l be able to see it in your GPS. Its more of a magnetic tracking device. Art from Manila.

17. spending all this money wont stop high speed chaces they should call all radio stations and warn of the chace and leave officers in areas prone for hot persutes. instead of dangering peoples lives by top speed chaces. i have an invention an idea to stop all chaces once and for all. but need a patent protection and its cheaper then the new police cars.this device will save a lot of lives. people who are known to steal cars will be easy to catch or people who runs from cops will be easy to catch as well.

18. I have no doubt that these new vehicles would more than serve the needs of police departments across the United States; the only issue may be feasibility in regards to smaller departments that will still have to purchase the traditional models and upgrade them. It would be interesting to look into hybrid police vehicles in the future seeing as current trends are leaning towards environmentally-friendly means of transportation.

19. I believe that all the technology exists to make a patrol vehicle anything we want. The cost, of course, depends on whether Carbon Motors utilizes converted platforms. Therefore, the competitive juncture would be for the technology companies to bid for their components to be implemented in the new technology. For example, if Carbon Motors made a deal with Homeland Security to create the best border patrol vechicle, tech companies would be over-the-top in getting their name on the unit. Or, in the instance of high crime urban areas, a unit that shares information, suspect plotting, etc with aircraft utlizing night vision, etc. Then, of course, implementing a high performance "green" power plant that still delivers the "muscle" the vehicle would need in chases, etc. And, speaking of chases, this unit should be able to electronically disable a speeding or out of control vehicle by way of magnetic or electro-impulse devices already used by the military. Then, obviously you create a NASCAR version with technology sponsors and watch it take off. Then, like the Hummer, people would want a civilian look-a-like and then the free-market system will bring the cost down while every year new technology is implemented.

20. This would have helped solve the DC sniper case. The suspects plates would have appeared in the database of each locale around the time of each shooting. After just a few shootings, police would have a very short list of cars with many repeated entries. I think police did setup roadblocks to do this manually, but imagine how much simpler plate recognition would work.

21. I think you should take shot gun and shot the radiator out. stay at a distance the car will run hot and stop. Sherman Robinson

22. i can pray that the police never get their hands on a vehicle like this. it would mean the end of guys like me that take joy in being able to get away. police are cocky enough with their HD motorcycles and their " oh so fast crown vics" for the peace of mind. keep them in the cars they got now.

23. Armored front doors and dashboards (capable of stopping 9-mm rounds) and forward-looking infrared cameras. lights, sirens, laptop docks and other gear. The car should not be designed as a alien vehicle but moderate,prestage,not for racing but protection of the vehicle and the officers. The expence shouldn’t be recover by issuing ticket or illigle motivation. Public dealing should be highly consider on priorty, reputation of the law inforce staff must be maintained on high standard, instead of bad officers or mafia.

24. If like we have been raised to believe in this country, "nobody... nobody(not even the president) is above the law," then I think the police should only have access to the same technology that the civilians of this nation have access to... Same goes for the military. If it was not the business of this country to wage war on their own citizens then they would entrust us with the same privelidges they enjoy. However as we can see, new police gadgets are coming... Inevitably... We will agree to be spied on, we will agree to throw away the bill of rights and the rest of the constitution if it makes us, "safer." I am sorry but I just haven't seen the safer, now when I wal outside I fear the police, I fear gangs, I fear drug dealers, I fear other criminals(who have been around since the begining of time and will continue to be around regardless of this technology), I fear being hit by stray bullets in a squable between the two. More than anything though I fear the police because they are vested in protecting only the capitolistic ventures of this country. If I loose my Job, lets face it, most of us are 3-4 paychecks from being homeless at anytime... If I become homeless I will be arrested for vagrancy, loitering, panhandling, sleeping in public... et cetera... If I try to warm myself I will be arrested for that... If I try to take food you are throwing away in dumpsters I will be arrested for that. If I try to forage on somebody else's land I will be arrested for that. So as we can see, the business of America is protecting business and not the people. Do the police really need more gadgets to write speeding/parking tickets and sit on their ass when something really happens? I will not put anymore tax dollars into my government waging war on me.

25. Cops are too soft. Put Gyros in the cars so they cannot tip over. Use 50 cal. ammo to stop the bad guys. Shoot all of the bad guys. I guarantee if you shoot 599 the 600th will stop. Good Luck to all Law Enforcement..Be Safe

26. I'm hoping that by 2020, that the E7 can run on electricity...

27. I would love to see criminals off the street. However, the biggest problem is the court system that allows felons to roam free with a slap on the wrist. The new technology will have benefits but they come with a price. The license plate reader could constntly load vehicle information into a database and an innocent individual could be tracked for less than honorable reasons. Who will be overseeing the overseers?

28. I love all of these new gadgets and the ideas behind them! Watching actual police videos on televison just makes my blood pressure rise! The more help law enforcement has, the better. In the hands of well screened and trained officers, I believe this will be an asset to us non-sworn citizens. Anything for the men and women in blue. Let's make sure they make it back to their families - alive - each and everyday.

29. this violates our privacy rights.

30. Automatic License Plate Recognition Cameras In any appraisal of high-tech policing, you’re bound to brush up against Big Brother-worthy technology. Case in point: Automatic License Plate Recognition (ALPR), which is essentially cameras that run every single plate they see. According to Brian Shockley, vice president of marketing for Tennessee-based PIPS Technology, the leading manufacturer of ALPR, the most common configuration is a three-camera system. All of the cameras have a fixed position and focal length, with two facing forward—one scanning the lane to the right of the car, the other scanning the lane to the left—and a side-mounted camera intended for parking lots. Each camera sends a constant stream of infrared and full-color images back to a processor in the trunk, which searches them against current warrant lists, Amber Alerts and other records that are updated daily. “The officer gets results in near real time,” Shockley says, “or about 20 milliseconds.” The cameras work at high speeds, with 180-mph differentials. So whether a car blazes by a stationary police car at 140 mph, or passes in an oncoming lane while both cars are doing 80 mph, the system should pick up the suspect’s plates. But here’s where things get creepy: Since each agency determines how long to keep the reams of data collected daily by each ALPR system, investigators could potentially search through thousands of drivers in a given area, during a given period, to help track down a hit-and-run driver. And PIPS sees the technology being installed on nonpatrol vehicles as well, such as street cleaners. Nothing, in fact, is sacred. Short-Term Impact: PIPS hasn’t provided exact numbers, but despite its relatively high price tag—a three-camera system costs around $25,000—ALPR systems are already in use across the United States, including agencies in California, Arizona, Texas and New Jersey.

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