Homeland Security buys ‘big brother’ laser scanner that can tell if you are high, what you are carrying and even what you had for breakfast… from 50 meters away
The latest scanners acquired by the U.S. government will be able detect the most minute traces of molecular discrepancies in both individuals' bloodstream and carry on luggage from 50 meters away.
Using advanced laser technology, Picosecond Programmable Laser scanners will show traces of drugs, chemicals, weapons, and even food you recently digested at the push of a button.
A non-governmental company originally developed the technology but has since partnered with the Department of Homeland Security, implying that the scanners will likely be deployed throughout airports and other high-risk areas.
Portable: The front (left) and back (right) views of the Picosecond Programmable Laser scanner show how small the device is which means that it could be used in a wide range of circumstances
An unidentified undersecretary at Homeland Security projected that the technology will be used within the next one to two years.
Though the essential process of detecting chemicals on individuals is not new, the significant speed and unmatched accuracy of these scanners makes them stand out against the rest of the market.
While the numbers seem outlandish, the new scanners are said to be ten million times faster and one million times more sensitive than the scanners used in airports and border patrols currently.
Gizmodo reports that the government subcontracted technology company In-Q-Tel to play the middleman between them and Genia Photonics, the company that has acquired 30 patents relating to the molecular-level scanners.
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