Electricity-Grabbing Hook: Bender Would Want One

Developed by Air Force engineers in Ohio, the RAPS (Remote Auxiliary Power System) was designed to provide electricity to field operatives by taking power directly from power lines. The hook has a sharp blade that can pierce the insulation of power lines. The exposed wire will then make contact with the blade and a conductive strip that’s also on the hook, and electricity will flow from the hook to the cable and down to an AC/DC converter.

Or you know, the military could just use it to tear down power lines. I wonder if using the RAPS will cause a blackout in the vicinity. More from the video below:

Did you hear what the narrator said? Apparently there are power lines in jungles and deserts as well. Good for the chimps and cacti.

[via OhGizmo!]