Posted on 06/27/2006 8:10:29 PM PDT by Marius3188
Ohio State University engineers have invented a radar system that is virtually undetectable, because its signal resembles random noise. The radar could have applications in law enforcement, the military, and disaster rescue.
Eric K. Walton, senior research scientist in Ohio State's ElectroScience Laboratory, said that with further development the technology could even be used for medical imaging.
He explained why using random noise makes the radar system invisible.
"Almost all radio receivers in the world are designed to eliminate random noise, so that they can clearly receive the signal they're looking for," Walton said. "Radio receivers could search for this radar signal and they wouldn't find it. It also won't interfere with TV, radio, or other communication signals."
The radar scatters a very low-intensity signal across a wide range of frequencies, so a TV or radio tuned to any one frequency would interpret the radar signal as a very weak form of static.
"It doesn't interfere because it has a bandwidth that is thousands of times broader than the signals it might otherwise interfere with," Walton said.
Like traditional radar, the "noise" radar detects objects by bouncing a radio signal off them and detecting the rebound. The hardware isn't expensive, either; altogether, the components cost less than $100.
The difference is that the noise radar generates a signal that resembles random noise, and a computer calculates very small differences in the return signal. The calculations happen billions of times every second, and the pattern of the signal changes constantly. A receiver couldn't detect the signal unless it knew exactly what random pattern to look for.
The radar can be tuned to penetrate solid walls -- just like the waves that transmit radio and TV signals -- so the military could spot enemy soldiers inside a building without the radar signal being detected, Walton said. Traffic police could measure vehicle speed without setting off drivers' radar detectors. Autonomous vehicles could tell whether a bush conceals a more dangerous obstacle, like a tree stump or a gulley.
The radar is inherently able to distinguish between many types of targets because of its ultra-wide-band characteristics. "Unfortunately, there are thousands of everyday objects that look like humans on radar -- even chairs and filing cabinets," he said. So the shape of a radar image alone can't be used to identify a human. "What tends to give a human away is that he moves. He breathes, his heart beats, his body makes unintended motions."
These tiny motions could be used to locate disaster survivors who were pinned under rubble. Other radar systems can't do that, because they are too far-sighted -- they can't see people who are buried only a few yards away. Walton said that the noise radar is inherently able to see objects that are nearby.
"It can see things that are only a couple of inches away with as much clarity as it can see things on the surface of Mars," he added.
That means that with further development, the radar might image tumors, blood clots, and foreign objects in the body. It could even measure bone density. As with all forms of medical imaging, studies would first have to determine the radar's effect on the body.
The university is expected to license the patented radar system.
someone buy that guy a beer. :)
LOL! Old technology in the military. That's all I can say.
$100 and uses a computer? This seems like a fine geek toy. Imagine what you could do with an invisible stealth radar!
Can they use it to see the telephone numbers NY Times writers dial?
If you were to hunt snipes with this, it would be almost cheating.
Very interesting post, thanks
This is horrible!
I mean people would be be able to look right through the wall and see if Slick actually is hitting it!And the technology could be available even to the lowly Freeper!
Woe is me!
If the signal return can be digitized, imagine the killer sites on the Internet.
Like the rest of technology, it will first be perfected and made profitable by "adult" content providers.
Something doesn't jive here. Does the Brooklyn bridge come with it?
"watch what you do within the privacy of your own four walls"
Hooters' dressing room. "Dynachrome, building inspector at large!"
I was thinking something similar...this is new?
And in some fields of science...lol.
This may have tremendous military applications.
This may have tremendous military applications.
Actually the NYT is faxing over the specs to Al-Qaida right now so they can get a jump start on how to avoid being detected.
Seems to me that living inside and faraday cage is becoming a more and more atrative option if you want to keep privacy.
ping
|
Spread spectrum radio is nothing new. It was patented in 1942 by Hedy Lamar, believe it or not. So spread spectrum radar isn't new either.
http://www.satin.demon.co.uk/Spread%20Spectrum.htm
Walton said. Traffic police could measure vehicle speed without setting off drivers' radar detectors
Oh, the inhumanity! Ohio State has gone too far on this one! Stop this madness!
I thought that the principle of scattering signals across a wide spectrum and processing the returns with computers was the whole idea behind the F-22 radar, designed in the late 80s or early 90s.
Doing it for $100, now that is news.
Mark
The university is expected to license the patented radar system.
Ping
"It can see things that are only a couple of inches away with as much clarity as it can see things on the surface of Mars," he added.So using this technology we'll need a powerful telescope to look at things only a couple of inches away. Wait. Maybe I didn't read that right. Where'd I put my glasses?
excellent news...
blood clots!
"Seems to me that living inside and faraday cage is becoming a more and more atrative option if you want to keep privacy."
Yet another growth industry in construction. I can see the add copy now...
"... surround your new home with the new and improved Faraday shield. Built into our tyvek moisture barrier, the shield will protect you from errant RF, backscatter radar, and even superman!..."
This could be a step in the direction of a full-up diagnostic bed. No more poking and prodding, just lay down, and when the scanner has passed, the doc looks at the results. Be cool if it went right down to blood screening.
"...I'm a doctor, not a radar tech!"
Quick, someone sell it to China! /s
You beat me to it. I really don't think we have seen the first example of a spread spectrum radar in a lab at Ohio State in 2006.
From Wikipedia:
The concept of frequency hopping, a type of spread spectrum, was invented in 1942 during World War II by actress Hedy Lamarr and composer George Antheil, who received patent number 2,292,387 for their "Secret Communications System". (She learned about the problem after being forced to attend defence meetings with her ex-husband while she was in Germany prior to WWII). This early version of frequency hopping used a piano-roll to change between 88 frequencies, and was intended to make radio-guided torpedoes harder for enemies to detect or to jam. The patent was little-known until recently because Lamarr applied for it under her married name of Hedy Kiesler Markey. Neither Lamarr nor Antheil made any money from the patent.
The Lamarr patent was a technological deadend and had no direct impact on subsequent technology as it was really ahead of its time. Military research at MIT Lincoln Laboratory, Magnavox Government & Industrial Electronics Corporation, and Sylvania Electronic Systems lead to early spread spectrum technology in the early 1950s. Parallel research on radar systems and a technologically similar concept called "phase coding" also had an impact on spread spectrum development.
ROFL!
at 100 dollars...it priced just about right for field use...
also whatever happened to that application that used sound from a bullet to track where it came from..so it could locate a shooter...??
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.