It's X-ray Vision (Sort Of)

Have you ever longed for X-ray vision?

If so, you're in luck. Sort of.

Researchers at the University of Utah have developed a radio tracking system that can "see" through walls. No, it can't determine the color of your underwear -- yet. But it can tell viewers where you are in the house, within about three feet.

Based on the same technology that's used in CAT scans, radio tomographic imaging uses a whole array of transceivers around a building. To test their system, researchers sent signals through the building to seek out moving "shadows." Next, according to a Science Daily article, "They developed math formulas and used them in a computer program to convert weaker or 'attenuated' signals -- which occur when someone creates 'shadows' by walking through the radio signals -- into a blob-like, bird's-eye-view image of that person walking."

Why would anyone want to work that hard to see a blob-like image of you move from the dining room to your favorite spot in front of the TV?

The scientists behind the project believe their invention has a number of practical applications. For example, firefighters could set up transceivers around a burning house to find the people inside.

Or perhaps they could be used as part of a very high-end security system: "What if you put radios in your home [built into walls or plugged into outlets] and used topography to locate people in your home. Not only would your security system be triggered by an intrusion, but you could track the intruder online or over your phone."

These ideas sound great, but the most likely use of high end "X-ray vision" is for marketing. Joey Wilson, one of the inventors, said, "I'm thinking of retail stores or grocery stores. They spend a lot of money to determine, 'Where should we put the cereal, where should we put the milk, where should we put the bread?' If I can offer that information using radio tomographic imaging, it's a big deal."

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