The US Military is showing off a handheld Radar Scope that they claim detects motions as subtle as someone breathing inside a building. Developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the $1000 gadget works through 12-inches of concrete and fifty feet beyond. They plan to field test the Radar Scope in Iraq as soon as this spring. From the American Forces Information Service:
"It may not change how four-man stacks go into a room (during clearing operations)," (DARPA's Edward) Baranoski said. "But as they go into a building, it can help them prioritize what rooms they go into. It will give them an extra degree of knowledge so they know if someone is inside."Even as the organization hurries to get the devices to combat forces, DARPA already is laying groundwork for bigger plans that build on this technology.
Proposals are expected this week for the new "Visi Building" technology that's more than a motion detector. It will actually "see" through multiple walls, penetrating entire buildings to show floor plans, locations of occupants and placement of materials such as weapons caches, Baranoski said.
