Ever wished you could see through walls? Well, soon your cell phone might be able to.
Researchers at UT-Dallas have designed a new imaging chip that could turn cell phones into X-ray devices capable of seeing through walls, wood, paper, and other objects. The team says its research links two scientific advances — one involves tapping into an unused range of the electromagnetic spectrum and the other is a new microchip technology.
The researchers found a way to tap into the terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum, a wavelength range that falls between microwave and infrared, that has not been accessible for most consumer devices. Using this new approach, images can be created with signals operating in the terahertz range, without the need for several lenses inside a device.
"We've created approaches that open a previously untapped portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for consumer use and life-saving medical applications," Dr. Kenneth O, professor of electrical engineering at UT Dallas and director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence, said in a statement. "The terahertz range is full of unlimited potential that could benefit us all."
The second advance makes the findings suitable for consumer devices thanks to a new chip using CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) technology, the same technology that is the basis of most computer chips, including microprocessors, on the market today.
"CMOS is affordable and can be used to make lots of chips," O said. "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."
Such technology would offer a wealth of benefits — from finding studs in walls, to detecting counterfeit money, and authenticating important documents. The researchers say it could even be used to detect cancer tumors, diagnose disease, and monitor air toxicity.
The team is now working to build an entire working imaging system based on the CMOS terahertz advances. There is no word on when the novel technology might be ready for consumer devices, however.
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