Force fields are no longer restricted to the worlds of Star Trek, Halo, Star Wars and the like - Boeing is working on its own version right now.

Rather than deflecting lasers or even bullets this force field will protect against the shockwaves from explosions.

According to a patent of Boeing on the USPTO website, the development is known as a "shockwave attenuation system". This comprises a sensor to detect an explosion and an arc generator that uses energy to deflect the explosive effects.

So rather than stopping the direct effect of an explosion, like the heat, this will limit the range of the shockwaves that emanate from that.

The patent was first filed by Boeing in 2012 and has been granted this month. The company currently produces aircraft, satellites, rockets and military vehicles. Perhaps they will appear with "force field" options alongside "GPS" and "armour plating" in the near future.

While this isn't a 'proper' force field like in the movies it's a step in the right direction and will limit the range explosives can have. Mines planted in the roads are a huge threat to military vehicles. Perhaps this development will prevent loss of life that would otherwise have been difficult to stop.

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