LONDON: Scientists at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh have developed a camera that can locate objects around blind corners and detect their movements, a study published in the journal Nature Photonics said.
The system could provide tracking in real time of objects hidden from direct sight in different situations of daily life, such as surveillance and the prevention of automobile collisions.
The technology allows the location of an object behind a wall in just three seconds and can follow the movements of objects one meter (about one yard) away from the camera with accuracy and in real time.
The study’s authors said it would be possible in the future to obtain a 3D image of the object seen by the camera.
The ability to see a 3D image of objects hidden from direct sight and static had already been demonstrated in recent studies, but it had not been possible to locate moving objects or to monitor their movement in real time.
The new system consists of a laser and a single-photon avalanche diode camera, a very sensitive device that obtains a response at 20 billion frames a second.
Researchers beamed laser light toward the ground in front of a corner and the scattered radiation bounced from the hidden object, in this case a 30-centimeter (12-inch) tall human shape made of foam.
The reflected light was captured by the camera and the system detected the object’s position and movement, despite being hidden from direct sight.
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