Seeing through walls technology

Impact: Improvements in through-the-wall radar imaging that will benefit the military, security and search and rescue sectors

The power to ‘see through walls’ remains the domain of superheroes, their movies and special effects.

But the realisation of this technology may not be that far into the future, and it has the potential to revolutionise the military, security, search-and-rescue and technology sectors.

UOW’s Professor Salim Bouzerdoum, winner of the 2011 Eureka Prize for Outstanding Science in Support of Defence or National Security, is leading development of through-the-wall radar imaging: imaging which can ‘see’ objects through walls, doors and other opaque materials.

There are many situations where it is essential to detect people hidden inside a closed building and to know their precise locations and movements. Soldiers, fire fighters, law enforcement officers and security personnel would all benefit from a portable, high-resolution through-the-wall sensing system that can differentiate targets of interest from clutter.

Professor Bouzerdoum’s research is transforming the technology required to provide reliable see-through-wall imaging, particularly through his work to reduce interference from wall reflections. His work on ‘compressed sensing’ requires fewer measurements to reconstruct a scene and has led to improved image quality and faster data acquisition.

By focusing on developing advanced signal processing techniques to extend operational range and sensitivity, Professor Bouzerdoum is aiming to develop a low cost, portable through-the-walls system that could enhance the capabilities of security and emergency services.