X-ray vision on your Smartphone.
Researchers have designed
an imager chip that could
turn mobile phones into
devices that can see
through walls, wood,
plastics, paper and other objects.
X-Ray vision might become a reality on your cell phone in the not-too-distant future.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have designed an imager chip that
could turn mobile phones into devices that can see through walls, wood, plastics,
paper and other objects. The team’s research linked two scientific advances. One involves tapping into an
unused range in the electromagnetic spectrum called the terahertz range. The other is
a new microchip technology called CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide
Semiconductor). Dr. Kenneth O, a professor of electrical engineering at UT Dallas led the
research. He said: CMOS is affordable and can be used to make lots of chips. The combination of
CMOS and terahertz means you could put this chip and receiver on the back
of a cellphone, turning it into a device carried in your pocket that can see
through objects. Due to privacy concerns, Dr. O and his team are focused on uses in the distance range
of less than four inches. Consumer applications of such
technology could range from finding
studs in walls to authentication of
important documents. Businesses
could use it to detect counterfeit
money. Terahertz can also be used for
imaging to detect cancer tumors,
diagnosing disease through breath
analysis, and monitoring air toxicity.
Dr. O said: There are all kinds of things you
could be able to do that we just haven’t yet thought about. The research was presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC)
in February, 2012. Bottom line: Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have designed an imager
chip that could turn mobile phones into devices that can see through walls, wood,
plastics, paper and other objects.
Researchers have designed
an imager chip that could
turn mobile phones into
devices that can see
through walls, wood,
plastics, paper and other objects.
X-Ray vision might become a reality on your cell phone in the not-too-distant future.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have designed an imager chip that
could turn mobile phones into devices that can see through walls, wood, plastics,
paper and other objects. The team’s research linked two scientific advances. One involves tapping into an
unused range in the electromagnetic spectrum called the terahertz range. The other is
a new microchip technology called CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide
Semiconductor). Dr. Kenneth O, a professor of electrical engineering at UT Dallas led the
research. He said: CMOS is affordable and can be used to make lots of chips. The combination of
CMOS and terahertz means you could put this chip and receiver on the back
of a cellphone, turning it into a device carried in your pocket that can see
through objects. Due to privacy concerns, Dr. O and his team are focused on uses in the distance range
of less than four inches. Consumer applications of such
technology could range from finding
studs in walls to authentication of
important documents. Businesses
could use it to detect counterfeit
money. Terahertz can also be used for
imaging to detect cancer tumors,
diagnosing disease through breath
analysis, and monitoring air toxicity.
Dr. O said: There are all kinds of things you
could be able to do that we just haven’t yet thought about. The research was presented at the International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC)
in February, 2012. Bottom line: Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have designed an imager
chip that could turn mobile phones into devices that can see through walls, wood,
plastics, paper and other objects.
