With homeland security on high alert, screening systems to
search for concealed weapons are crucial pieces of equipment. But these systems
are often prohibitively expensive, putting them out of reach for public spaces
such as train and bus stations, stadiums, or malls, where they could be
beneficial.
Now Eran Socher of Tel Aviv University (TAU)’s Faculty of
Engineering is reconfiguring existing complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor
(CMOS) chips designed for computers and turning them into high-frequency
circuits. The ultimate goal is to produce chips with radiation capabilities,
able to see through packaging and clothing to produce an image of what may be
hidden underneath.
Currently being developed through a collaboration between
teams at TAU and Frankfurt University, the chip could be the basis of
sophisticated but affordable and portable detection technology able to meet
everyday security needs. The research has been published in IEEE Microwave
and Wireless Components Letters.
Big security benefits on a miniaturized scale
Currently, advanced security technology is massive in size and
comes with a massive price tag. Such scanning systems are often developed for
selected airports or used by NASA for space exploration, says Socher. “Our
concept is different. For everyday use, security technology needs to be both
small and cheap,” he explains.
By adding new capabilities to existing CMOS technology,
already mass-produced for computers and other mobile devices, the researchers
are producing new integrated circuits at an affordable price. The chip, which
measures a miniature 0.5 mm by 0.5 mm, newly integrates antennae, giving it the
ability to receive and transmit millimeter wave or terahertz radiation. When
combined with either mechanical or electronic scanning technology, the resulting
radiation can produce an image.
Unlike X-ray technology which penetrates the body, the
chip is designed to see only through materials such envelopes, clothing, or
luggage, stopping at the human skin. Because the chip works with radiation
levels that are lower than those of a cell phone, it circumvents health
concerns. And the chip can also produce a more accurate depiction of concealed
objects, an advantage over common metal detectors which aren’t very specific or
sensitive, says Socher.
Facilitating high-speed transfers
Another application for the chips, which have a range of only a
few meters but operate at high frequencies, is high-speed communications. The
data rate can range from 1 to ten gigabytes per second, explains Socher, so the
chip could be used to transfer a file—like an uncompressed high-definition
video from a mobile device to a screen or projector—wirelessly and within
seconds.
Communications and software companies have already
expressed an interest in this technology, he says, and the researchers have
received a grant from the Broadcom Foundation in the U.S. to support and
further their research.
Source: Tel Aviv University
