The new radar technology for seeing through walls

What was once a thing of the comics in which a super-hero saw through the walls is beginning to become a reality, and that is because the technological capabilities do not stop advancing.

The radar emits a microwave signal that when hitting an object part of it is reflected back to the receiver, and by the time it takes that signal to be reflected and the frequency variation at which it is received, the distance can be calculated, and also the speed at which it is approaching or moving away. In this way the radar detects objects at a distance and the way they are moving.

But when the radar signal hits a wall, most of the signal is lost, and only a small part manages to pass through it, but that part of the signal that is very weak is not received by the receiver, and therefore is not seen.

And this is what is changing. With technological development, much more sensitive radar receivers are achieved that are capable of detecting those very weak signals that manage to overcome the walls, and also with the help of very powerful computers (and using complex algorithms) that are capable of separating the “noise” from the “signal” that is received, and thus be able to distinguish objects in real time.

Said like that it sounds very easy, but from a technical point of view it is very complex.

These devices provide those who use them a kind of X-ray vision of what is happening on the other side of a wall, and has multiple applications in security, in search of survivors after an earthquake, etc …

The security forces have been the first to support these developments and some products are already being offered that are somewhat primary at the moment, but with the passage of time they will be more powerful and will show what happens behind the walls with greater definition.

The most optimistic believe that it will be possible to distinguish people’s faces and apply facial recognition to find out who it is.

It’s clear that it’s going to be more difficult every day to hide unless you go into a very deep cave.