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Imagine a world where a seed-sized sensor sees thinner than a hair.
Engineers have developed a seed-sized radar sensor capable of detecting movements smaller than 1/100 the width of a human hair.
A team at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has created this prototype sesame seed-sized sensor that is cheap and energy efficient.
An official statement describes the sensor's design as making an "impossible mission" a reality. This advanced design allows the sensor to detect extremely small movements of objects at a microscopic level.
The sensor represents promise for a wide range of potential applications, including security, biometric monitoring, and helping people with visual impairments.
Millimeter-wave radar technology is used in this proof-of-concept device.
A millimeter wave is an electromagnetic frequency that ranges from 30 to 300 gigahertz and is located between microwaves and infrared radiation. It is used to provide high-speed communication networks, such as 5G, and is widely sought after for its ability to provide short-range sensor capabilities.
"Millimeter - wave radars send fast-moving electromagnetic waves to targets to analyze their movement, position, and velocity from reflected waves," the statement said.
Millimeter waves have a number of advantages, including a natural sensitivity to minute movements and the ability to focus on small-scale objects.
Most modern millimeter-wave sensors face problems related to power consumption and background noise filtering.
Indeed, scientists found a large amount of background noise when developing this sensor.
When the researchers tried to capture the faint signal of a thinning small leaf, their sensors were overloaded and the signal was lost.
"This seemed really impossible because the noise levels we were considering were so low that almost no signal source could handle it," Omid Momeni said in an official statement.
To overcome the noise problem, the researchers changed the design and structure of the sensor. This modification eliminated unwanted noise from sensor measurements.
As a result, the sensor can now detect changes in target position that are less than 1/100 of the width of a human hair, and detect vibrations that are smaller than 1/1, 000 of the width of a human hair.
This low-cost device has the potential to develop high-performance millimeter radars in the near future.
Engineers have developed a seed-sized radar sensor capable of detecting movements smaller than 1/100 the width of a human hair.
A team at the University of California, Davis (UC Davis) has created this prototype sesame seed-sized sensor that is cheap and energy efficient.
An official statement describes the sensor's design as making an "impossible mission" a reality. This advanced design allows the sensor to detect extremely small movements of objects at a microscopic level.
The sensor represents promise for a wide range of potential applications, including security, biometric monitoring, and helping people with visual impairments.
Millimeter-wave radar technology is used in this proof-of-concept device.
A millimeter wave is an electromagnetic frequency that ranges from 30 to 300 gigahertz and is located between microwaves and infrared radiation. It is used to provide high-speed communication networks, such as 5G, and is widely sought after for its ability to provide short-range sensor capabilities.
"Millimeter - wave radars send fast-moving electromagnetic waves to targets to analyze their movement, position, and velocity from reflected waves," the statement said.
Millimeter waves have a number of advantages, including a natural sensitivity to minute movements and the ability to focus on small-scale objects.
Most modern millimeter-wave sensors face problems related to power consumption and background noise filtering.
Indeed, scientists found a large amount of background noise when developing this sensor.
When the researchers tried to capture the faint signal of a thinning small leaf, their sensors were overloaded and the signal was lost.
"This seemed really impossible because the noise levels we were considering were so low that almost no signal source could handle it," Omid Momeni said in an official statement.
To overcome the noise problem, the researchers changed the design and structure of the sensor. This modification eliminated unwanted noise from sensor measurements.
As a result, the sensor can now detect changes in target position that are less than 1/100 of the width of a human hair, and detect vibrations that are smaller than 1/1, 000 of the width of a human hair.
This low-cost device has the potential to develop high-performance millimeter radars in the near future.
