Laser fence

Description

A laser fence mechanism detects objects passing the line of sight between a laser source and detector. Stronger lasers can be used to injure entities passing the laser beam, as in a mosquito laser. Fictional uses of laser fences often extend the concept so that fences may have the ability to prevent intruders by blocking or injuring them.

Agricultural usage

Lasers are used to keep birds from eating blueberries by being perceived as a predator. The European Commission is funding research into a laser fence to scare away rats and other pests.

Border fences

The Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has implemented a laser wall system—called LASER Wall—along some parts of its border to stop intrusion.

In fiction

Films

In the 1992 film Fortress, prisoners are kept secured by laser walls. In the 1995 film Congo, a laser fence is used as part of other high-tech equipment to defend a camp against vicious gorillas.

Videogames

Laser walls appear frequently in videogames. The concepts of these fictional fences can be compared to other concepts like tractor or repulsor beams and force fields.

• Deus Ex: Human Revolution has laser grids which the player can remotely hack with the Remote Hacking augmentation.
• Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine has a hacker class which use viruses to shut down lasers.
• Portal 2, with laser barriers as obstacles
• Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
• Titanfall 2 has laser fields to prevent access to areas.

Notes

References

1. (23 July 1974). "Laser fence".
2. Thomas Petruzzellis. (1994). "The Alarm, Sensor & Security Circuit Cookbook". McGraw Hill Professional.
3. Guth, Robert A. (2009). "Rocket Scientists Shoot Down Mosquitoes With Lasers". The Wall Street Journal.
4. Holden, Stephen. (4 September 1993). "Review/Film; A Futuristic Prison That Demands Escape". The New York Times.
5. (26 October 2017). "Laser bird deterrent increases crop revenue by 33%".
6. (28 October 2016). "Laser fence aims to protect crops from rats and other pests".
7. "LASER RAT FENCE wins €1.7m European Commission funds".
8. (2017). "WSN application for crop protection to divert animal intrusions in the agricultural land". Computers and Electronics in Agriculture.
9. (28 April 2016). "'Laser walls' activated along India-Pakistan border to plug gaps in vigil - Times of India". [[The Times of India]].
10. Toorek, Derick. (20 August 2018). "Congo (1995) - shootout scene in the woods".
11. Rudolf Kremers. (21 October 2009). "Level Design: Concept, Theory, and Practice". CRC Press.
12. "Laser Fence (Object) - Giant Bomb".
13. (16 October 2015). "The Ultimate Player's Guide to Skylanders Trap Team (Unofficial Guide)". Pearson Education.
14. Ingenito, Vince. (19 August 2016). "Deus Ex: Mankind Divided Review".
15. "Monaco: What's Yours Is Mine (Game) - Giant Bomb".
16. "Chapter 8: Test Chamber 12 - Portal 2 Walkthrough".
17. (9 February 2013). "Short Supply - Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time Wiki Guide - IGN".
18. Hamilton, Kirk. "The Mission That Proved Titanfall 2 Was Something Special". Kotaku.