A team of researchers from the University of Sydney have developed an X-ray prototype that allows people to see through walls. The prototype uses electromagnetic waves to bounce information off walls, according to researchers. Successful trials of the device have just concluded.
“We can then process the waves to retrieve the information we want. Then we reshape the wave so people can tell the shape of the object it has captured,” Xiaopeng Wang, a PhD student at Sydney University, said. Wang also noted that the prototype can tell the width and shape of a human being.
Other researchers believe the prototype will be beneficial during natural disasters and emergencies.
“When people get buried under collapsed buildings, a device such as this one could pinpoint the precise location of the survivor and definitely speed up the rescue mission,” Dr. Zihuai Lin, a lecturer at the university, added.
“Wang is now working on a smaller, more practical prototype of his invention, the current model requires two hands to hold it up,” according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
However, this new prototype has created privacy concerns; breathing and movement inside a building can be detected via the device.
“The U.S .Supreme Court ruled that police officers cannot use high tech sensors to tell if someone is home without obtaining a search warrant,” the article said.
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