The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has developed a technology that gives smartphones the ability to see through walls.
It is worth noting that modern smartphones are now equipped with a variety of sensors that were previously considered science fiction, such as the compass and gyroscope, in addition to the LiDAR sensor used in advanced models to improve augmented reality and measure the depth of scenes.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have presented a new development based on this sensor, having developed an algorithm that allows it to detect objects hidden behind corners and walls. Details of the innovation were published in the journal Nature.
Until now, “indirect vision” techniques have required bulky and expensive laboratory equipment, but researchers have been able to use a low-cost, commercially available LiDAR sensor to achieve the same results.
LiDAR works by emitting light pulses and measuring their reflection time to build a 3D map of the surroundings within the line of sight. However, the new algorithm reprocesses the weak and scattered signals reflected from surfaces like walls and floors, combining them from multiple angles to reconstruct the shape and movement of hidden objects.
The experiments were conducted using a commercially available sensor costing less than $100, with various objects placed behind barriers not directly visible to the sensor. The algorithm successfully tracked the movement of the objects and constructed approximate 3D models of them in real time.
The researchers add that this technology could enable wide-ranging applications in the fields of robotics and wearable devices in the future, noting that its spread could open the door to "indirect vision" technologies in consumer devices.
