Some have already dubbed it the “Superman chip”. The reason? Its ability to give smartphones a sort of "super vision", which allows them to see through solid objects such as envelopes, packages or walls. A quality worthy of the Man of Steel, which however in this case does not arise from the superpowers of an alien, but from the all-earthly ingenuity of a team of researchers from the University of Dallas.
After years of studies and progress, in fact, these scientists have managed to miniaturize a high-frequency imaging technology, making it compatible with the size of a smartphone. The result? A tiny chip just half a millimeter in size, comparable to a grain of sand, illustrated in one study that I link to you here. But don't be fooled by appearances: this concentration of technology promises to revolutionize the way we interact with the world around us. From the possibility of "scanning" the contents of a closed envelope to medical applications, through the search for objects hidden behind walls, the potential seems endless.
Let's find out together how it works.
Small but powerful
In the tiny dimensions of a speck that ended up in the eye of our favorite superhero (Clark Kent wears glasses and doesn't run these risks) there are concentrated three sensors capable of emitting and receiving very high frequency radio signals, in the millimeter wave band.
Yes, I know, I'm starting to use big nerd words. But calm down, don't run away: in simple terms, it means that this little thing is able to "illuminate" an object with a sort of small radar, and then capture the return signal and use it to reconstruct an image. A bit like bats do with ultrasound.
The great thing is that it took 15 years of research to arrive at these Lilliputian dimensions. A gestation worthy of an elephant, in short. But it was worth it: compared to the very first prototypes, the performance, researchers say, have improved 100 million times. An order of magnitude so huge that I can hardly imagine it.
Super vision or X-ray glasses from the 70s magazine?
Let's get to the point: will this chip really transform our pocket-sized “Men of Steel” smartphones? Well, it depends on what you expect. If you think you can look through your desk neighbor's clothes, I'm sorry to disappoint you: we are not (yet) at that level of technological perversion.
In fact, there are limits. For starters, the “super view” of our chip arrives at most one centimeter away. So, unless you're into postal micro-espionage, don't expect to be able to scan the contents of a suitcase from across the room.
And then, to be even more precise: we are not talking about real X-rays here, the ones that make you see the bones through the skin. Nothing so fascinating (or disturbing, depending on your point of view). Our chip uses very high frequency radio waves, which are totally harmless to human health. In short, no risk of genetic mutations or turning into a bald supervillain.
Of course, the researchers promise that in the future the scanning distance can increase up to 5 centimeters. Then we can poke our noses into more things, but that day isn't today.
Practical (more or less) uses
But then, what the hell is this miracle chip for, if not to satisfy our innate nosy instinct? Well, according to the researchers, there is no shortage of practical applications of super vision for smartphones. For example, we can use it to locate pipes, electrical cables or cracks hidden inside walls. Very useful if you are plumbers, electricians or aspiring condominium archaeologists.
Or, we can scan the contents of suspicious (thin) envelopes and packages, perhaps those delivered by mistake by the distracted postman. Thus, we will finally be able to find out if there is the usual Equitalia folder in there or that anthrax that the usual joker sends us like this, to play around with.
And what about potential medical applications? Our visionary scientists predict that in the future this chip could be used for non-invasive diagnostic tests, a bit like CT scans but without having to lie down in those claustrophobic tubes. Sure, at the moment the resolution is comparable to that of a black and white Game Boy, but hey, the important thing is to believe it.
Watch out for privacy
Jokes aside: despite its current limitations, such technology inevitably raises some questions about privacy. In short, knowing that the neighbor could "spy" on us through the walls with his smartphone is not exactly reassuring. Although, given the limited range of action, he would practically have to rub his nose against the wall to do so. A behavior that, let's face it, would be noticeable even without superpowers.
But the researchers are keen to reassure us: the chip is designed to work only at very close distances to avoid improper use. No furtive scanning of other people's pockets, in short. At most, you can use it to check if you forgot your house keys in the trousers you just put in the washing machine. As long as you can fit your smartphone into the basket.
(Semi)serious prospects
Jokes aside, it is undeniable that this invention opens up interesting perspectives. Of course, we are still far from having a smartphone with Superman's super vision. And perhaps we will never get there, given the physical limits imposed by the laws of nature (and decency).
But the idea of being able to “augment” the capabilities of our devices with increasingly sophisticated sensors is intriguing. Following ongoing research, in the future we will have smartphones capable of smelling spoiled food in the fridge get eye exams, prevent attacks and who knows what else.
Technological evolution will still reserve many surprises for us. Between one thing and another, for the moment let's content ourselves with dreaming and spying on the contents of the envelopes with the old, reliable flame under the paper method. But that's another story, right?
