Star Wars force field technology is coming to a battlefield near you

Star Wars gave us futuristic weapons like the light sabre and the X-wing fighter.

While we would love to all be swashbuckling around space swinging deadly glow sticks about, there's one piece of science fiction that could become science fact. Force field technology could soon be protecting tanks and military vehicles for real after aircraft builder Boeing was granted a patent. Tech geeks the world over will be back-flipping with joy at the news - as we're sure will any guys at the wheel of a tank in a warzone right now. Without going all Big Bang Theory on you, the technology works by using an electromagnetic arc triggered by a sensor which picks up any explosions instantly. Boeing says the technology could work either by sending out a high-intensity pulse which turns the surrounding air into plasma or by intercepting and slowing down energy waves from the explosion. All we want to know is can we fit one to our JOE news van? Here's the science bit... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zIiOmJVfHU