Tiny X-Ray vision chip can peer through nearby objects, like cardboard boxes and even walls — researchers say it is small enough to fit into a smartphone
The researchers say they were inspired by Superman.
A Superman-inspired, CMOS-powered X-ray vision imager chip has emerged from the combined research of the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) and South Korea's Seoul National University (SNU), per a release from UTD and a corresponding IEEE paper. This imager chip demonstrates the ability to see objects through cardboard from about an inch away — a deliberate distance restriction in the technology to prevent abuse, though a future version is expected to scan as far as five inches. The range restrictions here should be reasonable enough to prevent most worst-case scenarios, though those prone to taking naps in public places and the such may want to be especially cautious if these chips become commonplace.
The way this technology works is by emitting radiation within the terahertz (THz) range, which is invisible to the human eye. Early versions of this tech started at 100 GHz imaging (or 0.1 THz), but have progressed higher in the spectrum as refinement continues. For example, this particular version operates roughly in the 296 GHz range. The 2022 iteration of the technology, which is much larger, operated instead within the 430 GHz range.
As it turns out, using a regular old CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor) seems to be an affordable and effective way to both generate and detect THz signals. The 2024 iteration of the researchers' X-ray imaging tech relies on a 1 x 3 array of 300 GHz, 0.5 millimeter "CMOS pixels", each of which are the size of a grain of sand.
Dr. Brian Ginsburg, director of RF/mmW and high-speed research at Texas Instruments' Kilby Labs, was quoted saying "It took 15 years of research that improved pixel performance by 100 million times, combined with digital signal processing techniques, to make this imaging demonstration possible. This disruptive technology shows the potential capability of true THz imaging."
The researchers behind this X-ray imaging tech hope to see it used in a variety of applications, but especially for detecting objects inside packages or walls. For example, construction workers, plumbers, and electricians could find studs, pipes, support beams, and wiring behind walls. Everyday users could inspect product packages before opening them, for example. They even claim medical applications might be possible — which may end up particularly cost-effective one day, considering how much a single medical X-ray machine costs today (as high as $200K, sometimes more).
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Christopher Harper has been a successful freelance tech writer specializing in PC hardware and gaming since 2015, and ghostwrote for various B2B clients in High School before that. Outside of work, Christopher is best known to friends and rivals as an active competitive player in various eSports (particularly fighting games and arena shooters) and a purveyor of music ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Killer Mike to the Sonic Adventure 2 soundtrack.
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artk2219 It will definitely cause some considerations, but from a medical perspective, a cheap, small, safe, and efficient portable medical imager would be an amazing breakthrough. Imagine those doctors offices located out in the middle of nowhere with no funding at all. Having the ability to take a quick look inside of a patient to search for anything obviously wrong could potentially save many many lives.Reply -
Brian28 I understand we don't have a good non-technical word for it, but we should avoid using "X-Ray" to describe THz radar, which does not use X-Ray radiation, even though it has some similar capabilities. X-Ray radiation has health risks that THz emissions do not. (X-Ray is exa-hertz, which is a million-tera-hertz.)Reply
THz is less powerful than infrared. -
chaz_music Brian28 said:I understand we don't have a good non-technical word for it, but we should avoid using "X-Ray" to describe THz radar, which does not use X-Ray radiation, even though it has some similar capabilities. X-Ray radiation has health risks that THz emissions do not. (X-Ray is exa-hertz, which is a million-tera-hertz.)
THz is less powerful than infrared.
I agree with your comment. When I first read the title I though "no way" they would purposely use X-ray band radiation. The 100THz band is still within infrared radiation range.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrared
One observation: In the article, they have a way to create 100THz RF. If I remember correctly, this is only 7 octaves away from visible light. It would be cool to have light glowing from an RF antenna one day instead of an LED. -
ET3D From the article:Reply
"With privacy issues in mind, the researchers designed the technology for use only at close range, about 1 inch from an object. For example, if a thief tried to scan the contents of someone’s bag, the thief would need to be so close that the person would be aware of what they were doing, O said. The next iteration of the imager chip should be able to capture images up to 5 inches away and make it easier to see smaller objects."
Seems strange that on one hand they'd say that 1 inch is for security reason, then say that a 5 inch device with better detail is in the works.
I can definitely see someone scanning everyone with this on public transport.
And yeah, it's annoying that the article calls it X-ray. -
TheyCallMeContra Brian28 said:I understand we don't have a good non-technical word for it, but we should avoid using "X-Ray" to describe THz radar, which does not use X-Ray radiation, even though it has some similar capabilities. X-Ray radiation has health risks that THz emissions do not. (X-Ray is exa-hertz, which is a million-tera-hertz.)
THz is less powerful than infrared.
Author here: this is a much-appreciated note! The researchers use this term but don't clarify that difference.
I'll make an edit to the article sometime today or tomorrow (depending on the editing pipeline) to clarify this difference. THz radar. Well-caught. -
bit_user Since it relies on an active emitter, I wonder if that will make it cheap & easy to build detectors. If so, defending against it might not be too hard.Reply
Still, I might just go ahead and buy futures in lead foil.
; ) -
bit_user
Sounds like a tricorder.artk2219 said:a cheap, small, safe, and efficient portable medical imager would be an amazing breakthrough. Imagine those doctors offices located out in the middle of nowhere with no funding at all. Having the ability to take a quick look inside of a patient to search for anything obviously wrong could potentially save many many lives.
Maybe someone should combine it with an AI model for finding problems in x-ray images and enter it in this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricorder_X_Prize -
artk2219
That's actually exactly what i was thinking of, several medical sensors in one package. Ideally with some sort of database and "AI" (basically something that can look for statistically related anomalies in the data). It would help to interpret the results, and maybe point at something the doctor may have missed themselves, hopefully leading to a better diagnosis for the patient. Or at the very least lead to a "yeahhhhh, thats weird, we need to get you to a better facility" before something becomes a bigger problem.bit_user said:Sounds like a tricorder.
Maybe someone should combine it with an AI model for finding problems in x-ray images and enter it in this:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tricorder_X_Prize -
edzieba For those who remember Soli, another chip-scale THz system, that was down at 60GHz, so this is a decent reduction in operating wavelength for a similar packaging size.Reply