14 DAY TRIAL // Automated teller machines are really useful, but they're also less secure than many people would like, especially in today's times when hackers and techies are running rampant. As it happens, nature may have the solution to our security concerns.
A team at the ETH Zurich University have introduced a special sandwich, though it's not the kind you're expected to eat.
Truly, it would be rather hazardous to your health if you ate it, since it's made of tiny pockets of hydrogen peroxide and manganese dioxide set up in a honeycomb structure.
There is clear lacquer separating each layer, but it crumbles under impact, prompting the two chemicals to mix and create a hot foam that reaches a temperature of 80-degrees centigrade (176 Fahrenheit) very quickly.
The idea is to provide ATMs with devices that can spray this at attackers when an attempt at stealing from an ATM is made.
The concept was borrowed from nature. You see, there exists a special breed of beetles, called bombardier beetles, that spray potential predators with a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and hydroquinone.
That mixture can kill ants and cause harm to frogs and larger potential predators. It can also do a number on human faces and eyes.
The mixture from ETH Zurich University was deliberately designed to be less harmful, since it's theft deterrence that is the goal here, not permanent health hazards.
Besides, blinding thieves is just part of the purpose of the new beetle-based spray mechanism. The other half is tracking.
The honeycomb pieces mixed with an indelible dye with DNA nanoparticles can be used to make the boxes where the money is stored. When a thief breaks the ATM, the paint sprays over the cash, allowing it to be permanently marked and tagged if removed incorrectly. The notes would, of course, be rendered useless.
Not all that great if the thieves immediately spend the notes at shops manned by tired or particularly gullible/inattentive cashiers, but better than nothing.
This technique involving boxes could be more useful for things other than money and ATMs really. There are lots of things that shouldn't be touched by unauthorized people after all.
The Zurich team thinks that a sheet of the beetle-inspired “self-generation foam” can be made for $55 / €40. Banks and other public institutions will have to figure out for themselves if their use will truly help. Having the whole technology detailed like this for the whole world to see is a bit counterproductive, but it might contribute a bit to general crime prevention.