It sounds like a scene straight out of a science fiction movie.
They have created a new light detection system that can identify human faces and objects from over half a mile away, even in nighttime conditions or through smoke or fog.
Researchers claim the groundbreaking study could be a major breakthrough for security and defense, potentially making identification substantially simpler.
The system uses pulses of laser light to measure distances to objects, which enables it to create 'high-resolution 3D images' of faces and other surfaces from as far as ten football pitches away, in both daylight and darkness.
Dr. Aongus McCarthy, an optical scientist and research fellow at Heriot-Watt's Institute of Photonics and Quantum Sciences, stated: 'If someone is standing behind camouflage netting, this system has the potential to determine whether they are using their mobile phone, holding an object, or simply standing idle.'
He acknowledged that the research, published in the optics and photonics journal Optica, is still in the "very early stages of development".
He stated that the results reveal substantial potential and in a practical application, they could be utilized in security and defense applications, autonomous vehicles, and to monitor the movement of structures or rock faces to evaluate subsidence or other potential risks.
Dr. McCarthy stated: "An example of a security or defense application might be as part of a camera system used to remotely monitor secure buildings or areas."
‘Our system can capture a highly detailed 3D image of a suspicious object even in low-light conditions, such as through smoke or fog. By enabling cameras to see further and more clearly, our system can contribute to enhanced security in that area.’
He pointed out that if they could develop a 'remote, non-contact method of measuring objects with millimeter-scale precision', their system could be used 'to create detailed maps of fragile stonework, historical artifacts or the facades of protected buildings'.
Researchers, collaborating with the James Watt School of Engineering at the University of Glasgow, tested their high-sensitivity Lidar system, created using an advanced detector developed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, at three distances – 45 meters (approximately 148 feet), 325 meters (slightly over 1,064 feet), and one kilometer (approximately 0.6 miles).
At a height of 325 meters, they were able to generate a 3D image of a colleague's face in what they claimed was "millimeter-scale detail".
The team's breakthrough involved being able to measure the time it took for a laser pulse to travel from the system to the object and back with an accuracy of approximately 13 picoseconds – a picosecond being one trillionth of a second.
According to the researchers, the timing achieved in this instance is roughly ten times more efficient than previous efforts.
Dr. McCarthy stated: 'The timing is incredibly impressive. We can distinguish between closely spaced surfaces at very great distances.'
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