Imagine being able to visualize radio waves.
It would make finding your misplaced mobile phone easier. It would also make finding eavesdropping bugs and covert spy cameras easier to find, too.
We are not quite there yet. This is a FutureWatch item. But, progress is being made. A French company, Luxondes, is working on this now. Their focus, however, is not consumer or TSCM oriented. The immediate profit market is product testing.
In this video, they visualize radio waves by showing a transmitting device being waved in front of a panel with 64 sensors operating between 50 MHz and 3 GHz.
Being able to visualize radio waves is necessary for many reasons. As TSCM practitioners, we want this technology to evolve.
- Initially, by developing a hand-held screen which can be moved around a room or vehicle.
- Eventually, by developing a device—maybe a spatial headset—that displays radio-frequency energy as a 3-D fog, lidar-map the room, and document both for review and as evidence.
- And, whenever possible, add AI capabilities. Determine the frequency. List what is legally allowed to use that frequency. Analyze and identify the waveform. Display the results, and highlight any anomalies.
With any luck, REI is also working on this for us.
