Visual sound camera

2000/02/01 Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Elektronika
• Patenteak/Asmakizunak

A team of engineers from the aerospace company Lockheed Martin is developing a camera capable of seeing in dark waters. The camera will replace the light with ultrasound to form the images. We see it detecting the light that the objects reflect, but the camera sees it bouncing the sound wave on the objects. Sonars use the same system to detect underwater objects, but offer very low resolution to form images. Therefore, the camera uses ultrasound and is able to create an acidic image of any object around it. The camera has been tested at two frequencies: using a megahertz frequency ultrasound, a poor image is obtained, but it is able to see it 50 meters away. With a frequency of 3 megaherres you get a fine image of 1 cm of resolution, but you can only see it 10 meters away.

The camera has many applications according to inventors. It is able to see light in unusable dark and dirty waters and can be very useful to locate underwater mines or wreckage of plane accidents. The aim of the engineers is now to create a small camera that the diver can carry in his hands.