This camera "sees" through clothes

Leonard Goh | Mar 10, 2008

If you remember the movie xXx, Xander Cage (Vin Diesel) was given the Eagle Eye, an enhanced binoculars that has X-ray capability to which our hero put to good use with some strip-searching. While the geeks among us dream of owning one, a British company Thruvision has already developed something similar. It has put together a revolutionary imaging system that can "see" what's beyond the clothing, but without showing the person's intimate details. (Too bad for the lechers.)

Enter the T5000, a camera that can detect and process Terahertz rays (commonly known as T-rays). This technology was built on the idea that living and non-living objects alike emit T-rays of different frequency which can pass through objects. By identifying and processing the data of these rays, the camera can reveal what is hidden up to 25m away. This eliminates the threat of close contact with potentially dangerous characters.

T-rays exists on the electromagnetic spectrum between infrared and microwave. By engineering it to be sensitive only to certain frequencies, it is possible to use this camera outdoors without having to worry about other forms of radiation that might interfere with the work.

The T5000 was developed with research from the astronomers at the European Space Agency, who study dying stars by examining the T-rays they emit.

Thruvision aims to apply this groundbreaking technology for civilian and military use. Security at crowded areas or large-scale events can be more precise and faster at identifying threats, thus saving lives before catastrophes happen.

The T5000 will make its debut at the Home Office Scientific Development Branch (HOSDB) exhibition, which will be held on March 12-13 in the UK.

Update: Thruvision's Web site was unavailable when we last checked. We'll put it up once it is active.

Filed under: Digital Cameras
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