Researchers from the University of Texas at Dallas and Seoul National University developed a new imager chip inspired by Superman's legendary X-ray vision.
This breakthrough technology promises to enable mobile devices to detect or take images of objects concealed within packages or obscured behind walls.
New Imager Chip Inspired by Superman
The chip promises to revolutionize smartphones' capabilities, allowing them to find structural elements like studs, wooden beams, or wiring concealed within walls, and identify cracks in pipes or the outlines of envelopes and packages' contents.
Moreover, its potential extends to medical applications. The genesis of this technology dates back to a 2022 study in which researchers initially showcased its imaging capabilities.
Dr. Kenneth K. O, director of the Texas Analog Center of Excellence (TxACE) and the Texas Instruments Distinguished University Chair in the Erik Jonsson School of Engineering and Computer Science, likened the technology to Superman's X-ray vision, albeit without the harmful effects associated with X-rays.
The signals utilized range from 200 gigahertz to 400 gigahertz. In a press statement, Dr. Brian Ginsburg, director of RF/mmW and high-speed research at TI's Kilby Labs, said 15 years of research that improved pixel performance by 100 million times, combined with digital signal processing techniques, have paved the way to make this imaging demonstration possible.
Ginsburg further noted that this disruptive technology reveals the potential capability of true THz imaging. Privacy concerns were a focal point during the technology's design phase.
The researchers ensured its suitability for close-range applications, approximately one inch from the target object. This design choice mitigates the risk of unauthorized scanning, as it necessitates proximity to the object being scanned.
The Superman-Inspired Imager Emits 300-GHz Signals
The Superman-inspired imager emits signals spanning a 300-GHz range within the millimeter-wave spectrum of electromagnetic frequencies.
According to the research team, these frequencies remain undetectable to the human eye and have been classified as safe for human exposure, diverging from the potential health risks associated with X-ray technologies.
Dr. Wooyeol Choi, an assistant professor at Seoul National University and the primary author of the recent paper, provided insights into the chip's design. He said they made the chip without lenses or optics to fit into a mobile device.
According to Choi, the pixels create or form images by detecting signals reflected from the target object. They measure approximately 0.5 mm square, comparable in size to a grain of sand.
The strides in miniaturizing the imager chip for mobile devices are the outcome of nearly two decades of research conducted by the team, comprising students, researchers, and collaborators affiliated with TxACE at UT Dallas.
The research team's findings were published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Terahertz Science and Technology.
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