WASHINGTON, Jan. 26 (UPI) -- Troops in Iraq this spring will begin receiving a new handheld device that can "see" through walls to detect movement in another room.
The "Radar Scope," developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is a motion detector that can peer through a foot of concrete to pick up on movements as slight as breathing, the Armed Force Information Service reported this month.
The device will be used at the squad level to allow small teams of troops conducting urban operations to detect an enemy before they enter a room. It weighs about a pound and a half, is toughly the size of a telephone handset, and costs about $1,000 a piece.
DARPA is also working on a more ambitious project called "VisiBuilding."
VisiBuilding is meant to develop a system that from 10 meters away can map out the interior layout of a building and detect any movement within it. The sensor should also be able to detect "anomalous quantities of materials" inside buildings, tipping soldiers off to stockpiled explosives or chemicals.
The expectation for the system is high -- better than 95 percent accuracy rate within .5 meters.
"In order to be effective, VisiBuilding must demonstrate penetration and interpretation through at least two exterior-grade walls using standard building construction materials such as reinforced concrete, concrete block, brick, adobe, etc. Concrete and concrete block should be at least eight inches in thickness," states the DARPA solicitation.
DARPA envisions a 45-month development program. Proposals were due in the first week of January.
