Sense of security

Technology originally developed for space communication projects may soon be used by UK security forces to detect concealed weapons at airports or railway stations.

The Tadar sensing system, which takes its name from the Brazilian Tadarida bat, is designed to detect metallic and non-metallic objects hidden beneath clothing. It uses 3mm-wavelength technology that can see through clothing, but is completely harmless to people, according to its Irish developer, Farran Technology.

The company designed the technology for use by ESA in advanced astronomy and radio communications, as its high signal bandwidth is ideal for inter-satellite communications. This was coupled with Farran’s scanning technology to design the Tadar system.

It works by measuring the a person’s radiated body heat by scanning them against a temperature- controlled background panel. The presence of any object hidden between the clothes and the body blocks the body’s natural energy and the thermal contrast provides a high-resolution image of the object.