New, tiny magnetometer represents another leap in nanotechnology

mPhase, in partner with Bell Labs has announced the creation of a tiny magnetometer expected to be as much as 1,000 times more sensitive than current sensors.

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A statement by the company claims a single sensor will be able to "detect the presence of a soldier carrying a rifle at approximately 150 feet"...

Bell Labs and mPhase presented this new technology this last week at the MIT Emerging Technologies Showcase. MIT is home to the US Army's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnology.

I wonder if these could even be used for biometric identification? Given their sensitivity is greater than modern quantum magnetometers, could an array of these possibly provide a unique identification of an individual based on their resident electromagnetic field?

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That would be such a great tool for airport security. They could have them just laying around different places to decet guns knifes and what not. Or they could be placed in school without being intrusive. There is a million applications for this device good find dude

Think about the benefit of having an array of these things positioned so as to provide a mutl-faceted profile of an electromagnetic field -- I think that given their sensitivity, with a nominal amount of signal processing, you could not only determine who is armed, but with what they are armed...

Something like this, if it lives up to those expectations as I suspect it won't, would be unbelievable. The entire world would change. Security, wars, schools, transportation, identify theft, EVERYTHING could be reworked to include this stuff.

Something to watch for in the next few years, definitely.

That doesn't look like ten angstroms to me. Do you have any links to its dimensions?

Looks like Micron scale too me on a second glance actually.

[edit on 3-10-2005 by sardion2000]