New camera could protect Tampa from terrorists

March 11, 2008
SEMINOLE -- From the outside it has a rather simple look. But the way this camera looks at the world is not simple at all.

Bill Foster believes its complex view could stop countless terrorist attacks.

"It will pick up all sorts of contraband," Foster said.

That's the sole function of the machine known as the T4000. It's a high-tech camera that reads radiation called t-waves, put out by the human body.

One image shows what the camera sees when it looks at a fully-clothed man. But hide something under that same man's clothing, in this case a fake bomb, and you can see how the image changes.

The camera can see what someone is concealing from as far as 80 feet away, including a weapon or explosive, even in a crowd.

"This gives you a real good indication of who you need to look at as a potential threat or for closer inspection," Foster said.

Foster believes that could entirely stop attacks if the technology was picked up on a local level, especially at markets, malls or stadiums.

And while some critics have raised concerns about possible invasive images from the machine, developers say the camera's view has no anatomical awareness.

"You can tell it's a person, but it's more of an outline of a person," Foster said. "The anatomical features just do not come through."

The camera was originally created by a company in England, and it is currently being used in some public places there. There is no word on when we might see it in use in the United States.

Source: ABC Action News