Issue link: https://let.epubxp.com/i/320907
27 www.officer.com June 2014 Law Enforcement Technology COVER STORY Unfortunately the feasibility of utiliz- ing a sound- or sonar-based technology may have presented more trouble than initially let-on. Its possible development hasn't resolved these issues as of yet. A report sponsored by the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs— National Institute of Justice, written by Ivan Cowie of the Time Domain Corp., "Through-Wall Surveillance for Locating Individuals Within Buildings: Final Scientific and Technical Report," explains that "a speaker-based sonar will reflect so much energy off of the wall that the display will have to be remote to mitigate false alarms from the opera- tor's movements". While this concept may essentially accomplish the goal, it may not be practical to require the con- troller or a tactical team to back away each time. Ultra-wideband (UWB) radar has less of a reflection. While it would be optimal for these devices to be held against a hard surface, it will still pro- vide usable data while working remote- ly, and they do require the device to remain still. To be useful these devices should be handheld and, in through- the-wall purposes, offer more than the bleeps, the sweeps, and the creeps. With applications in military, law enforcement and search and rescue, radar through-the-wall technology can detect movement and presence of life— being able to 'see' such movements as subtle as normal human breathing. With more dimensions being analyzed, more data is displayed. Likewise, the more data, the larger the handheld. Camero-Tech began development in through-wall technology to provide The Camero-Tech Xaver 400 (at left) display shows multiple ÒhitsÓ within the selected 8-meter range. Above, CyTerraÕs RANGE-RÕs 50-foot detection range presents the distance of the closest detected object classifying it into a ÒbreatherÓ or ÒmoverÓ (slower or faster than one foot per second). The small red and blue circles illuminate to signify an error or a successful detection. Xaver 400 and RANGE-R photos provided by Lt. Buzz Benson of the Gwinnett County (GA) Sheriffs Office. a life-saving solution. In one situa- tion, one of their products were used to recover a kidnapped victim. It identified three people: two in con- stant motion, one static. The opera- tors breached and successfully res- cued the hostage once they observed the two in motion having left the room. "The systems are based on radar technology, specifically UWB radar," says Josh Levontin, Marketing Director at Camero-Tech. "A range of electromagnetic signals penetrate the wall and return back to the system." "Radar is just a tool for intel gather- ing, just like any other," says Lt. Buzz Benson of the Gwinnett County (Ga.) Sheriffs Office. "For example, if we're going to push a camera into the kitch- en then we'll use the radar to make sure we don't have…any movement in the kitchen at that time. "Typically speaking the radar allows you instant information as to what's going on on the other side of that wall within the range of the radar…but you can move radar around or you can leave it station- ary—we do both." LET_26-31_ThroughWall0614.indd 27 5/20/14 1:45 PM