Use laser light to detect bombs from a distance of 1km

An aerial plane can use a laser beam to sweep a large area beneath it and detect where it is carrying bombs or other dangerous chemicals and stimulants. This technology is not new, but a recent breakthrough has allowed people to detect hazardous substances up to 1km away with a single laser. This work has just been published in the latest issue of the American journal PNAS.

One of the authors of this study, Prof. Vladislav Yakovlev of Texas A & M University, said that they used a method called "Raman scattering". When a laser is thrown at an object, it will cause the object to vibrate, depending on what kind of material it is made of, the vibration level will vary. Next up is the color of the laser light will also be changed a small part, this color when launched into different substances will not be the same.

Based on the data, Prof. Vladislav said that the object would be identified, such as Ammonium Nitrate or Sodium Nitrate, which are the chemicals used to make bombs. Other dangerous chemicals, such as drugs and stimulants, can also be found.

Currently, the cost of building a remote laser detector system is about $ 30,000, and researchers hope in the future to reduce that number to a more reasonable level. This technology is likely to be useful in the military, military, and security industries, with just one aircraft able to spy a large area to detect bombs. drug. But it is also potentially dangerous because laser lights can harm the eyes of people without protective glasses.

In addition, he suggests another potential for discovering life on strange planets, simply attaching the system to a satellite and letting it scan the entire surface of the planet. to search for material that can survive.