ThruVision T5000 recognises objects beneath clothing

Story link: ThruVision T5000 recognises objects beneath clothing by Jan Harris

ThruVision, a UK company, is marketing the first CCTV camera that can recognise objects beneath a person’s clothing. The ThruVision T5000 camera has a range of up to 25 metres.

The camera uses terahertz waves to identify objects. It works on the principle that all materials emit different terahertz waves, which allows it to differentiate between visually similar substances such as sugar and cocaine.

The camera could be effective for security applications, and will help fill the need for increasing vigilance in the light of recent acts of terrorism.

Its ability to see metallic and non-metallic items on people out to 25 metres is a key feature that will be welcomed by the security market.

According to ThruVision, the camera does not present a threat to personal privacy, as the human body emits terahertz waves at a frequency which the device does not scan.

This means that it does not reveal personal body details, giving the system an advantage over rival millimetre wave radar, which provide clear pictures of the body under clothing.

The Secure 1000 systems, currently being tested at Heathrow airport, use millimetre wave radar technology.

The ThruVision T5000 technology stems from research carried out by space scientists at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. Astronomers use T-ray cameras to see through dust and clouds in space, revealing what lies beyond.