Sometimes, out of tragedy, hope can emerge. Although the shooting in Newtown Connecticut was obviously a reprehensible act that nothing could possibly justify, it has inspired one inventor,Kamal Sarabandi, to create a device that may prevent another such tragedy from ever occurring. Sarabandi is an electrical engineer who specializes in detecting objects from a distance. He recently finished a project developing a radar for the military that can remotely detect a bomb or firearm concealed on a person’s body, and decided that it could prove invaluable domestically. The machine can scan people at a rate of one person per second, and although it hasn’t been tested on an actual crowd, Sarabandi has run multiple computer simulations, and has tested the device on a mannequin. The radar works by sending out radio waves and listening to the signals that bounce back, like a bat or dolphin. This type of technology is also used in cars to prevent collisions, and in military tracking. This device could scan large crowds from a distance, identifying likely threats among the crowd, and allowing security to more closely search them. Although this technology requires a lot more work, it may one day prevent future threats like the Newtown shooting.
The next incredible technology that I’ve learned about in the past week may remind you if Mission Impossible. The Air Force has recently developed a technology that allows humans to scale any wall, using suction pads. This technology works on literally any surface, from glass, to rock, to stucco. This device consists of two suction pads, a vacuum, and a support system. The pads are placed against the wall, and the vacuum provides the suction required to support the climber’s weight. Another cool aspect of this amazing device is that it is hands free, meaning that a soldier can operate a weapon while suspended from a building.
Wall-climbing device
Technology is awesome! I also like the idea of investing in more domestic security like the devise described in this article.
I think that the machine that can detect firearms on a person is really interesting. I think that people would feel comfortable knowing that this technology exists and that potential threats could be found quickly and quietly. The wall-climbing device is very cool. I would never imagine that something like that would actually exist.
Wow a defense heavy week! The wall- climbing devise is cool, but I wonder if it’s useful for defense or it it will just make soldiers and easy target. It’ll be interesting to see how it’s used in the future.
The gun-scanner-thingy is cool too. It seems like it could be huge in defense in our country. I wonder if the technology would be seen as an invasion of privacy though, much like the airport scanners. Using radar is a good way to make it less intrusive.