I wrote a piece for The Feature about the potential uses for a newly invented radar-on-a-chip.
Late last month, an associate professor by the name of Ali Hajimiri of the California Institute of Technology announced that he had come up with a radar system on a chip. This is significant for two reasons. First, its tiny dimensions (one-fifteenth the diameter of a penny) will make it possible to add radar-like functionality to almost any wireless device no matter how small it is. Second, the price of anything that can be manufactured in a silicon fabrication plant will plummet as the number of units shipped increases. Will the next decade be known as the "Radar Age"?
Maybe so. Hajimiri's radar on a chip could replace a lot of existing dish antennae, like the kind you have on your roof to watch satellite TV. The frequency at which the chip runs – 24 Gigahertz – falls right into the spectrum allocated by the FCC for vehicular radar systems. These chips could be embedded into a car to give it 360-degree, all weather vision, protecting the occupants from reckless drivers and other highway hazards.
