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Subject:
Compact radar tracks movement through a wall
reefdiver
12/8/2006 11:27:17 AM
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Nifty new product for infantry.
See pics at:
link
www.newscientisttech.com/channel/tech/weapons/dn10524
12:30 14 November 2006
NewScientist.com news service
Tom Simonite
A laptop-sized device that can peer through walls could let police or soldiers check whether anyone is lurking inside a building before bursting in. It could also help emergency workers quickly locate people trapped inside a structure.
The gadget, called Prism 200, was developed by UK technology firm Cambridge Consultants. When held against a wall, its built-in screen produces a 3D picture of activity on the other side, pinpointing people up to 20 metres away.
A video shows how the system can be used to quickly check whether a room is empty or occupied. Another shows it being used for longer-term surveillance.
"Police and other security forces want to know where people are inside a building before they have to force an entry," says Alan Wiltshire, who oversaw the development of the system. Being able to monitor activity within a room could make many situations less dangerous for both officers and suspects, he adds.
Background checkUnlike the radar systems used to monitor aircraft and track weather systems, Prism 200 displays only moving objects. It captures a radar "snapshot" of the area in front of it and uses this as a background reference in order to detect movement.
Dots on screen show the centre points of any moving objects against a grid that shows their position relative to the radar unit. The device can map an area in plan view, side view or in three dimensions. It can see through most building materials, although metal beams confuse the image.
A person will also disappear from the display if they remain perfectly still, but it is sometimes sensitive enough to pick up even the movement of breathing, Wiltshire says.
Other radar systems designed to look through walls are significantly larger than Prism 200, which also weighs only 5 kilograms. They also do not process information quickly enough to provide the at-a-glance summary of movement beyond a wall, Wiltshire claims.
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