Two researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, John Peabody and Gregory Charvat, may have just unlocked the secret to real-life X-ray vision.
Peabody and Charvat's system employs signal amplifiers and radio wavelengths. When images of an object behind a wall are taken via an X-ray machine, the wall appears very bright in the image. According to Discovery.com, only a small amount of radiation penetrates the wall and an even smaller bit reflects back to the detector. What Peabody and Charvat's system does is amplify the small radiation signal that is made and subtracts the signal the wall produces. Ultimately, they were able to build a receiver that only picks up altered wavelength signals, which essentially eliminates the wall from an X-ray image.
Unfortunately, the X-ray vision device currently doesn't operate the way Superman's eyes do: it only shows people as blobs behind the wall. However, with improvements, such a discovery can help anyone determine where there are people within buildings or behind walls -- this type of device, as Discovery.com points out, would help soldiers battling in urban zones.
X-Ray Vision Devices
MIT Researchers Create Apparatus to See Through Walls
Trend Themes
1. Wall-penetrating Tech - The development of a system to produce X-ray images of objects behind walls promises opportunities for non-invasive diagnostic tools and advanced surveillance systems.
2. Advanced Imaging Technologies - Further research on signal amplification and wavelength alteration could lead to more accurate and comprehensive imaging tools for various industries from healthcare to security.
3. Disruptive Surveillance - The use of X-ray vision in surveillance has the potential to change the industry by providing unprecedented information-gathering capabilities.
Industry Implications
1. Security - The technology can be utilized to strengthen defensive and law enforcement measures, becoming a game-changer for border security.
2. Construction - The ability to see through walls can help in detecting structural issues without invasive methodologies.
3. Medical - Applying the technology to X-rays in medical diagnosis can reduce exposure to harmful radiation but still take accurate images.