"Sprint" Radar System Could Look Behind Walls

This may not be a hardcore PC enthusiast news blip, but it's just too radical to overlook. When you think of Sprint, you probably think of Dan Hesse, a Simply Everything Plan, or a funky yellow logo. But do you think of in-wall radar systems? Cambridge Consultants, known as a design and development company, has today unveiled "Sprint," which is described as a "prototype handheld device which provides a 3D image of objects embedded within walls or floors." Mind you, this doesn't relate to the Sprint you know of as the cellular carrier, but there's no doubt some fancy communications involved here.

The "Sprint" enables an operator to rapidly form an image of subsurface structures such as pipes and cables, as well as detecting items of interest such as concealed explosives and contraband, revolutionizing counter-terrorism and crime prevention search techniques. Law enforcement and security agencies are constantly facing new challenges as criminals and terrorists look for ever more creative ways to conceal weapons or to smuggle contraband, and the Sprint system has been designed to tackle some of the most challenging threat detection scenarios.


Unlike existing transmission x-ray systems, the radar-based Sprint system does not require access to both sides of the object in order to scan inside, and provides an easily interpreted image of the wall structure, something which compact radar systems have previously not provided. This significantly improves its application potential and can enable much quicker deployment in scenarios where speed can be critical. The prototype Sprint device is the equivalent size of a standard sheet of letter paper and 15cm deep, weighing approximately 3.5kg with batteries. It is a multi-channel system, enabling full synthetic aperture processing, and it uses short pulses of energy with high bandwidth to enable the short range, high resolution imaging required. Other potential applications for the technology include industrial inspection, technical search, counter surveillance and a range of military applications.

So, if you thought your soundproof walls were good enough to keep the spies out, well, think again.