Boeing is working on bringing a real working force field to military vehicles, using plasma to deflect shockwaves from explosions. It may not be the stuff of Starfleet just yet, but the shield — outlined in a patent application called "for shockwave attenuation via electromagnetic arc" — could save some lives nonetheless.
An sensor onboard a land vehicle equipped with this technology would sense the blast. The system would then use an arc generator to create a protective energy barrier, changing the air around it to lessen the impact of an explosion's shockwave through temperature variations and air density changes.
This early attempt at a plasma shield is pretty limited. It won't protect against physical objects like shrapnel and the plasma burst probably won't have a long duration because of the intense energy requirements. And as Engadget points out, the burst also could temporarily disable the occupants of the vehicle.
While this design is just on paper, we're excited anyway. Boeing is building a forcefield.
Source: Engadget
