Scientists have created a new device that allows people to see through walls -- looks like Superman has competition.
The rather brilliant creation, hails from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and uses wireless signals.
The technology, dubbed RF Capture, "can trace a person’s hand as he writes in the air and even distinguish between 15 different people through a wall with nearly 90 percent accuracy.”
"In other words," the researchers stated, "it can "determine where you are, who you are, and even which hand you are moving."
In addition to the Clark Kent-esque nature of the device, it also has more practical application that could make our lives a lot easier.
Researchers are planning to work in a feature that allows the device to contact emergency services if a family member falls on the floor and becomes unconscious.
"We’re working to turn this technology into an in-home device that can call 911 if it detects that a family member has fallen unconscious,” said Katabi, director of the Wireless MIT centre.
“You could also imagine it being used to operate your lights and TVs, or to adjust your heating by monitoring where you are in the house.”
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RF Capture works by sending wireless signals through a wall and capturing whatever bounces back off to put together an image of the person on the other side of the wall.
“The data you get back from these reflections are very minimal,” says Katabi. “However, we can extract meaningful signals through a series of algorithms we developed that minimise the random noise produced by the reflections.”
Katabi and team also envision the technology being used by Hollywood to track actors across rooms, bringing science and fiction ever closer together.