In the early days of the Grapro, neither the quantum field nor the specific function of gravity was well understood or well controlled. Large, crude gravity projectors would create inefficient fields that could only be used in the clumsiest of applications. As our understanding of modern physics grew, it became possible to manipulate quantum fields to not only stimulate crude gravite emission rates but also to manipulate the behaviour of the gravites within the Manifold dimensions themselves. Much smaller and more powerful units became capable of precisely manipulating gravity from a distance.

Matter encountered along the length of the beam will see an equal effect to that at the end of the beam. The acceleration of air molecules and other stray particles out of the beam create the "crackle" effect and distinct smell described by those in proximity to the beams.

The modern man-portable Grapro is generally a compact, single-beam carbine powered from a light, high-efficiency backpack power supply. They are used as essential tools in construction, shipping, and industry. As heavier weights tend to be harder to control and drain energy faster (by orders of magnitude), teams of Grapro operators often work in tandem. As the beam hits its target, it is actually a relatively small area of the target which receives the gravitational forces and lifts the rest of the target. Using multiple projectors or Grapros with adjustable-width beams can relieve stresses imposed when an object is lifted from a single point. Multipoint Grapros are designed for heavier, specialized applications and use a coordinated set of beams to engage targets at multiple points of contact and spread out lift stresses. The only major difference between handheld, vehicular, and starship mounted Grapros is that of scale.

Gravite Cannon
The Gravite Cannon, often called a G-hammer or Combat Grapro, was originally devised by Azatlath Advanced Construction and is now a common concept throughout the civilized galaxy as a tool of both construction and war. The idea is a simple one, using multiple parallel beams but allowing individual beams to push, pull, or rapidly alternate. A variety of crushing or tearing effects can be achieved for use in mining, industry, or turning people you don’t like to pulp. Gravite cannons consume exorbitantly more energy than a standard Grapro and compensate by firing a pulsed, rather than steady state beam. As such, G-Hammers are used for pulverizing or shoving rather than steady-state lifting. Gravite cannons come in a variety of sizes. Man-portable units consist of an unwieldy multi-barrel rifle run from a heavy, high-efficiency fuel cell backpack. Many heavy industrial and military applications integrate the Gravite Cannon into a powered exoskeleton. Vehicle and starship models are common, as well.

Ripsaw Rifle
Ripsaw technology is a relatively new development, essentially a highly miniaturized Gravite Cannon supplemented by technologies realized during the development of the string drive. Refinements in the ability to create and control quantum fields allowed for parallel quantum beams to be generated and focused almost on the molecular level. Rather than the pulverizing action created by the Gravite Cannon, the push-pull action of the quantum beams produce a tearing action at the near-molecular level. Due to the miniaturization of beams and components, the Ripsaw is far less energy-reliant than either the Gravite Cannon or Grapro, using less energy and exerting less force but precisely focusing it on an exceptionally tiny area. Ripsaws do no area damage and make exceptional cutting tools where accuracy and clean cuts are a priority. As a weapon used against personnel, the Ripsaw leaves un-cauterized cuts that bleed and distract both the target and those who are left to tend them. They cause gradual tears in armour and must be focused on a single spot until the armour is breached, or used to physically cut a hole, before they do any interior damage. The farther the unit is from its target, the more ragged the cut tends to be, since the beams are parallel and tend to diffuse in the atmosphere over distance. 

Because of the small size and relatively modest power consumption of the units, external backpack or beltpack power supplies are generally not mandatory but are available on many models. The technologies that ushered in the first Ripsaw Rifle saw a variety of other applications spin-off within years of its appearance. 

The Ripsaw Rifle, often referred to as a “Ripper”, proves itself most effective in rifle sized and larger units. Pistol-sized designs, while available, are too small to house the necessary equipment to generate and focus the quantum beams over a long distance. Pistolized models are limited to extremely close range and do little more than distraction damage and bleeding. The Ripsaw pistol fills essentially the same role as the Ripsaw lancet, without its advantages, making the lancet a more popular choice in close applications. 

Ripsaw Lancet
Ripsaw Lancets are hand-held, limited-range cutters based on Ripsaw Rifle technology. While Ripsaw Rifles use closely placed parallel beams with an effective focal length of infinity, the Ripsaw lancet has a fixed focal length, typically from a foot to several feet. The beams converge at the focus, creating a precision, low energy cutter. The beam itself appears to be “thick air”, slightly wavy around the edges and causing odd bends and diffractions of light. The overall effect is somewhere between that of a prism and a desert mirage. The lancet beams have a bright, crackling high-energy discharge where they converge.  

The beam doesn’t cut clear through like a solid blade; instead, the parallel gravity beams tear at the surface first and cut deeper if the position is maintained. If the point of beam convergence is used as the cutting point, the high-energy discharge makes a faster, slightly more ragged cut and causes some extra heat damage. Close to the hilt, the beams are slightly wider and more separated, causing a larger tear. Exceptionally proficient users, professionals in art and industry, are able to cut with the very tip and match cutting speed to material to prevent beam convergence and minimize the extra heat and tearing damage.

Volto-Avaiga originally manufactured the "Quantum Saw" as a cutter for breach operations. Current models by Volto-Avaiga include the modern Ripsaw Quantum, a weaker six-inch cutting tool designed for Security force breach operations and capable of continuous cutting for several minutes. The Volto-Avaiga Turquoise is a larger model designed to function both as a breach cutter and as a short-range, close-quarters melee weapon. The power unit for the Turquoise mounts to the user’s forearm and physically interfaces with the hilt of the weapon when it is held in the appropriate hand. The rechargeable fuel cell supply can maintain a steady beam for hours. Models are also available to integrate with vehicles, starships, and precision machining equipment.

The term lancet is generally applied to ripsaw cutting tools. Models designed primarily as weapons are often referred to by the term "Ripslash". Weapons-grade Ripsaw lancets are sometimes referred to as "Starswords" due to the flamboyant energy discharge at the tip of larger models.

GlimmerStorm
A starship weapon based on the Pattonetti Emitter, the GlimmerStorm projects a highly unstable quantum field similar to that used in the generation of artificial gravity. Unstable and purposely modulated to increase its instability, the GlimmerStorm stimulates random and uncontrolled gravite emissions within the quantum field it projects. Targeted starships are subject to the disruption of their internal systems, particularly the artificial generation of gravity. Unpredictable power surges can occur, overloading capacitors and isolators and causing power generators to act unpredictably. Gravity-based shields within the area of effect will be weakened or fail. Scanners can generate noise and random readings and sensors can misfire and damage themselves. Steadily sweeping an area with a gravite field can instigate tell-tale sensor fires from undetected stealth vessels. As a further distraction and threat to morale, the Gravite field causes random molecular reactions in the ship, generating sparks from metal surfaces, creating random pinging and popping noises, and causing visual and audible feedback in the user interface. The Glimmerstorm can also be used to collapse the quantum field of a starship and pull it out of skip warp.