14 DAY TRIAL // The manufacturers of the new ThruVision camera say that the device is not able to reveal physical body details of the scanned subject, but if I were you, I wouldn't believe anything the manufacturers say. They could have just as well said that the ThruVision camera can cure AIDS, but until the ultimate test, we wouldn't be certain, would we? Anyway, if you fell somehow being watched there is a good probability that you are, take my word for it. The MAN is watching!
Back to the story though. ThruVision camera can scan a subject as far as 25 meters away right through his/her clothes to reveal whether he/she is bearing weapons, drugs, explosives or any other type of illegal substances. Dubbed T5000, the device implies the use of electromagnetic rays with frequencies in the range of Terahertz, mostly known as T-ray. The 'passive imaging technology', gives it the ability to reveal objects hidden away from view even if the carrier is on the move.
The developer of T5000, the ThruVision company, says that it will have as possible applications the security cameras in both military and civilian grounds, such as busy airports, sporting events and on battlefields. It is expected to be presented at the British Home Office sponsored scientific development exhibition taking place from 12 to 13 March.
ThruVision chief executive Clive Beattie writes that T5000 is able to detect both metallic and non-metallic objects within its 25 meter field of vision, an extremely useful feature in security systems. There is the risk, however, that people would not appreciate very much the idea of somebody being able to view right through their clothing items. Already the streets and public centers all over the world are heavily packed with hundreds of cameras watching our every move.
Throughout the development stage, the ThruVision company was in close collaboration with the European Space Agency, as astronomers studied T-ray radiation within the stars in their final stages of life.
The Terrahertz wavelengths lie between the infrared and microwave spectrum, meaning that they are able to relatively easily penetrate objects such as solid walls or the Earth's atmosphere. On the other hand, most objects and living beings emit relatively low amounts of electromagnetic radiation and all types of radiation for that matter. Albeit, not all objects emit the same amount of radiation, thus, by comparing the different signatures of the objects, T5000 is able to create an overall image of the subject and the substances it carries.