How terahertz laser scanners will spy on you in airports
July 12, 2012 | Source: ExtremeTech
(Credit: Genia Photonics)
Genia Photonics has developed a programmable picosecond laser that is capable of spotting trace amounts of a variety of substances, including explosives, chemical agents, and hazardous biological substances at up to 50 meters.
It’s basically a spectrometer for radiation in the terahertz band. The beam used by Genia’s spectrometer is capable of penetrating most materials including wood, leather, cloth, ceramics, plastic, and paper, and can essentially scan the surface of your body through clothing looking for traces of dangerous substances.
The terahertz signals used are non-ionizing and very low power, so at least it’s safe. But that gunpowder residue on your hand from hunting the other day, cannabis smoke particles in your hair, or even a bit of (explosive-boosting) nitrate fertilizer stuck to your shoe could trigger this scanner. Will that cause an entirely new set of headaches for airline passengers?
Genia also cites medical applications.
Comments (16)
by George
Great ‘Big Brother’ technology for population control in the USA so the republic does not stand in the way of whoever is trying to take control of ______. Great for ‘police state’ USA.
On the light side it can make for faster plane travel and not having to take off our shoes.
On the public benefit side it can protect public places from bomb incidents like the London subway terrorist exposions, sports events and G20 meetings. And, yes, great for public screening in a viral epidemic.
by Phil Osborn
Sounds like this could be used in place of the cancer-sniffing dogs, as well as spotting people who might have a virus or other disease that required intervention.
by adsum72143
Hmm…unreasonable search and seizure comes to mind…the 4th Amendment provides that “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.”
by Spikosauropod
Miniaturize this, combine it with the TxACE “x-ray” chip, and mount it on Google Glass, and you will have people walking around with abilities that make the most remote fantasy about Sherlock Holmes seem modest.
by theos
I like how you think.
by Carl Brooks
Money talks at the end of the day. So if this tech does reduces the number of people flying, by a significant amount, it wont be around for very long.
i suspect it will be widely adopted and like all surveillance tech in this field, used as a preventative measure and not to stop and search everyone with four molecules of pot in their hair.
by paramodern
How airports will protect and defend itself against attacks with terahertz laser scanners.
by Walter Baltzley
New Drug-Smuggling Tactic: spread trace amounts of illegal drugs EVERYWHERE to confuse the scanners and bog down the system.
New Big Brother Tactic: spray the target with trace amounts of explosives so that the government has a legal excuse to detain “undesirable” civilians indefinitely without trial…
by Bri
How do you propose to spread trace amounts everywhere? Cameras record every detail, from before you enter the building. As soon as you start to dust, it’s a bust. Leave some remote activated mechanism and your toast again, cause they have you on tape doing it. Being set up by the cops is nothing new. A problem that needs to be dealt with on other levels. This is awesome tech. Kind of like being sniffed by those cute contraband dogs, just without the cuteness.
by Thomas Godwin
Cool, maybe they can use it Afghanistan as well. But I’m always afraid of TSA jumping on me for no reason at the airport, now I won’t fertilize my lawn before I fly.
by Bill
@Michael I’m wondering how much flying the people saying they won’t fly anymore actually did before all this TSA craziness started. For anybody with family far away, there’s not a whole lot of choice in the US without taking more time off work and dealing with driving for hours and hours, or if you want to go anywhere separated by an ocean.
Not to say I haven’t thought of it. Getting through screening with a 4 year old and a 1 year old, with the shoes and formula and laptop and stroller, diaper bag, etc. with a long line behind you and rude TSA is enough to make you really think about not flying.
by Vic
With a 50 meter range, there is a strong ‘benefit’ to using this technology in casual surveillance.
by Brian Roberts
With these it should at least mean there should be less tsa and faster lines. Oh but who am I kiddin’ it’s big business.
by Jamie
I agree. If we could use these kind of unobtrusive technologies to speed us through the screening process I would be all onboard for it. Same goes for ultra sensitive sniffer chambers that hit you with a puff of air. In my case I find most of the TSA staff friendly. It is more of a time issue as I travel a lof for business and the less time in airport screening, the better. I also sympathize with Bill and I feel for the parents of small chirldren when they need to go through this ordeal and try and keep it all together.
by Michael
I am surprised at the number of people who tell me they won’t fly, already. I think the secret goal of the TSA and US government is to completely shut down the airline industry. Why the airlines don’t complain is beyond me…
by Dennis R.
Airlines has been consolidating for years, merging with or buying up competitors, cutting back routes, downgrading services and raising fares without having to worry about being anti-competitive. So they get to be more monopolistic in the markets they serve. At the same time, they all have to abide by the rules, and no one airline has an unfair advantage over the others.