Multi-Sensory Distraction Device
Around the year 2000, the Marine Corps, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and others examined the creation of a “Multi-Sensory Distraction Device” with an outfit called SARA. An ambitious problem seemingly plagued by lack of focus and direction, I’m unable to find any signs that it ever went anywhere or did anything other than die a slow, whimpering death.
A presentation on the device (2.4MB PDF) still survives, though, and it’s an interesting read for anyone interested in the development of non-lethal weapons. Don’t let the horrible, horrible illustrations put you off:
There’s some interesting stuff in here for the geeks among us all. 
Another, somewhat related document of interest is this NATO paper on non-lethal technologies and their human effects. While it’s perhaps overly cautious where the potential harm of some of the technologies is concerned, it’s also a great, easily accessible reference to the breadth and depth of non-lethal technologies, including some you don’t often hear much about, like emulsifiers or soil destabilizers, depolymerisers, microwire barriers, or ring vortex projectiles. Much like those old mail-order novelty catalogs, it’s full of things you never knew existed…
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