When the home's motion detectors, laser grid or other measures detect an intruder in the home, artificial smoke machines in strategic places in the home (perhaps concealed in the ventalation system) activate filling the home completely with smoke, so the culprit finds stealing possessions or harming the occupant as difficult as escaping. Upon activation of the system the authorities are also notified and an alarm sounds, to further incite more panic in the trespasser.

Similar technology can be incorporated into a car alarm.
-- ImBack, Jan 14 2003

Anti-Robbery Smog System http://www.cstech.com.tw/ze-all-04.htm
[FarmerJohn, Oct 05 2004, last modified Oct 21 2004]

Smokecloak - Inventors of smoke burglary security http://www.burglarysecurity.com
Almost 1,000 cubic foot per second! [aariasp, Jan 17 2005]

a good use for all those stockpiled chemical weapons. Can you make a car-alarm version?
-- rbl, Jan 14 2003


Baked to a crisp. There are quite a few companies that will install this for you.
-- lumpy, Jan 14 2003


could it play snap and pop sounds to make 'em think there was a fire?
-- futurebird, Jan 14 2003


Yes, this is Baked. The systems sometimes use pyrotechnic smoke and sometimes oil mist smoke (like a conventional theatrical smoke machine) but they're becoming quite commmon in the UK. Cheap, non-lethal and effective.
-- 8th of 7, Jan 15 2003


The first commercial application of the concept was made by Smokecloak,a British company. They have sold over 30,000 machines and are on their 7th generation. Good idea! its used in pretty specialized stuff like ATM and gun stores. They don't use smoke though, but fog. see www.burglarysecurity.com
-- aariasp, Jan 16 2005


Yes, baked. I remember reading about one that uses a special fog fluid with pepper spray chemicals in it. Ouch!
-- fogfreak, Jan 17 2005


Theatrical smoke makes it particularly hard to breathe.
-- andrew1, Sep 27 2005



halfbakery