Jetson: Biometric recognition has become a part of our everyday lives. We have facial recognition at airports, cars that can be unlocked simply by looking at them, technology that detects a person's unique way of walking, and of course the ubiquitous fingerprint, which is used for everything. What's new, though? The heartbeat.
As reported by MIT, the Pentagon has developed a laser that can identify people – remotely – by their heartbeat. The technology, known as Jetson, uses laser vibrometry to detect the surface movement of the skin caused by a heartbeat and works from 200 meters away.
Everyone's heart signature is unique and, unlike faces and fingerprints, cannot be altered in any way.
Like facial recognition and other biometrics , Jetson has some drawbacks .
- It works through clothing, like a shirt, but not thicker than that, like a winter coat.
- It also takes about 30 seconds to collect the necessary information, so it is only effective if the target is sitting or standing.
- And, of course, its effectiveness also depends on some kind of cardiac database.
Nevertheless, under the right conditions, Jetson has 95% accuracy.
Obviously, the technology could prove very useful for military and surveillance organizations, hence its use by the Pentagon. Of course, as MIT notes, the new capability could be useful for doctors, who could check heartbeats without having to touch the patient, while hospitals could wirelessly monitor a patient's vital signs.
Perhaps, this type of technology will represent another step towards improving our lives.
