Seeing through Walls
It’s a regrettably common scene: hostages at gunpoint, police shouting through bullhorns, holding off for fear of harming those inside. Now Huntsville, AL-based Time Domain has a device that could give the cops a better sense of when to move in: an instrument that can see through walls. Much like a radar set, the system sends out a signal that bounces off objects, so distances can be calculated. But while radar sends out a continuous wave, Time Domain’s instrument sends out millions of pulses per second, allowing it to screen out still objects and precisely locate moving objects. The device, which the company expects to sell by year’s end, will be responsive enough to detect even the minute motions of a person attempting to stand still. An even more sensitive version is being developed for use in finding people during earthquake rescue.
Keep Reading
Most Popular
Geoffrey Hinton tells us why he’s now scared of the tech he helped build
“I have suddenly switched my views on whether these things are going to be more intelligent than us.”
Meet the people who use Notion to plan their whole lives
The workplace tool’s appeal extends far beyond organizing work projects. Many users find it’s just as useful for managing their free time.
Learning to code isn’t enough
Historically, learn-to-code efforts have provided opportunities for the few, but new efforts are aiming to be inclusive.
Deep learning pioneer Geoffrey Hinton has quit Google
Hinton will be speaking at EmTech Digital on Wednesday.
Stay connected
Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review
Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.