Camera that ‘sees’ under clothes

A British company has developed a camera that can detect weapons, drugs or explosives hidden under people’s clothes from up to 25 metres away in what could be a breakthrough for the security industry.

The T5000 camera, created by a company called ThruVision, uses what it calls “passive imaging technology” to identify objects by the natural electromagnetic rays – known as Terahertz or T-rays – that they emit. The high-powered camera can detect hidden objects from up to about 25 metres away and is effective even when people are moving.It does not reveal physical body details and the screening is harmless, the company says.The technology, which has military and civilian applications and could be used in crowded airports, shopping malls or sporting events, will be unveiled at a scientific development exhibition sponsored by Britain’s Home Office on March 12 and 13.”Acts of terrorism have shaken the world in recent years and security precautions have been tightened globally,” said Clive Beattie, the chief executive of ThruVision.While the technology may enhance detection, it may also increase concerns that Britain is becoming a surveillance society, with hundreds of thousands of closed-circuit television cameras already monitoring people countrywide every day.Nampa-ReutersThe high-powered camera can detect hidden objects from up to about 25 metres away and is effective even when people are moving.It does not reveal physical body details and the screening is harmless, the company says.The technology, which has military and civilian applications and could be used in crowded airports, shopping malls or sporting events, will be unveiled at a scientific development exhibition sponsored by Britain’s Home Office on March 12 and 13.”Acts of terrorism have shaken the world in recent years and security precautions have been tightened globally,” said Clive Beattie, the chief executive of ThruVision.While the technology may enhance detection, it may also increase concerns that Britain is becoming a surveillance society, with hundreds of thousands of closed-circuit television cameras already monitoring people countrywide every day.Nampa-Reuters