A CAMERA that can see through people’s clothing at distances of up to 80ft has been developed to help detect weapons, drugs and explosives. The camera could be deployed in railway stations, shopping centres and other public spaces. Although it can see objects under clothes, its designers say the images do not show anatomical details. However, it is likely to increase fears that Britain has become a surveillance society.
The new technology, known as the T5000 system, has attracted interest from police forces, train companies and airport operators as well as government agencies. It has been developed by ThruVision, an Oxfordshire-based company spun out from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, one of the government’s leading physics research centers. It was designed for use in spacecraft and astronomy but researchers soon realised that cameras capable of seeing through clouds of cosmic dust could also see through clothing. ThruVision already offers a smaller system designed for office foyers that can scan through clothing at a range of 30ft-40ft. Bill Foster, the president of Thermal Matrix, an American defense contractor specializing in imaging systems for the US military, is one customer. He said: “This could be deployed at major sporting events, concerts and rail stations as well as for military use.”
How many of you would’ve killed for this as a kid. Of course, it will never be used for questionable purposes.
