As a prototype, it was featured as one of the coolest gadgets of 2003 by Time. Now, the No-Contact Jacket is finally on its way to becoming available to customers. Designed for women to protect themselves against acts of violence, this jacket looks pretty normal on the surface. However, with the flick of a switch, the wearer of this jacket can activate the circuitry embedded just below the surface to generate 80,000 volts of electric pulses. That should be enough for any attacker in contact with the jacket to be painfully jolted away without causing any long term damage. During this time, the wearer can escape or take any other protective measure. The jacker is fully insulated from within and the wearer will not feel any effect of the current passing through externally. When not in use, the jacket in the shoulder region displays tiny electrical arcs that could also act as a potential deterrent.

I find it very difficult to imagine someone wearing this on a day-to-day basis. It does not comfort me to know that there exists a potential to accidentally deliver a shock to yourself or to someone close to you if you aren't careful. Also, wearing something around your body capable of generating such a high degree of voltage is not exactly my cup of tea. Call me old-fashioned, but I would still like to stick to conventional and safer forms of protecting myself. Still, I can imagine it being used under special circumstances where the threat of violence is clearly high. Also, the company could do well to extend the target audience beyond women to also include people involved in dangerous occupations.

Do have a look at the videos on the company's website to get a better picture of how this jacket can work for you. No information on pricing and availability as yet.

Via Coolest Gadgets.