article_snippet: Boeing has been granted a patent for a device that appears to work like the fictional shields seen in science fiction movies like Star Wars and Star Trek.
article_snippet: Boeing say the device could be mounted on vehicles such as tanks and armoured personnel carriers, buildings, aircraft, ships and submarines.
article_snippet: British military scientists have been working on a new type of armour designed to repel incoming fire from vehicles.
article_snippet: The armour, developed by researchers at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) would use pulses of electrical energy to defelct rockets, shrapnel and other ammunition that might damage a vehicle.
article_snippet: Engineers behind the techology claim it is possible to incorporate supercapacitors into the body of a tank or armoured personnell carrier to turn the body of a tank or armoured personnell carrier into a kind of giant battery.
article_snippet: If timed correctly, the scientists behind the technology say the technology could help to prevent rocket propelled grenades and shells that detonate on impact from reaching the scientists behind the technology target.
article_snippet: the scientists behind the technology claim the device could work the scientists behind the technology in the air and underwater, helping to protect assets from rockets, landmines, torpedoes and Improvised Explosive Devices.
article_snippet: Writing in the patent, Boeing said: '
article_snippet: The USS Enterprise in Star Trek (pictured)used a force field to help protect The USS Enterprise in Star Trek from torpedos and phaser blasts .
article_snippet: Spacecraft, vehicles and even individual robots in the Star Wars films (pictured) had vehicles and even individual robots in the Star Wars films (pictured) own shields .
highlights_snippet: Boeing says Boeing can protect tanks, buildings, ships, aircraft and submarines .