To defeat terrorism, the United States wants to transform portable telephones into biological sensors.
The principle - An army of volunteers capable of tracking the slightest pathogen in the atmosphere. This is the Orwellian project dreamt up by the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA), which in the next few months will chose a subcontractor to develop an economically-priced maintenance-free sensor. The detector will be installed in televisions or refrigerators of households willing to participate. Connected to one of its centres, the sensors will enable the Department of Homeland Security to monitor the air all over the United States. Another programme, called Cell-All, involves installing similar sensors in mobile phones which could transmit their location via GPS to the Federal agencies if they happened to detect a biological or radioactive threat. A first prototype chip containing 64 nano-sensors and compatible with the Apple’s i-phone was developed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in October 2009. It has been adapted from technology developed by NASA for its Mars missions.
The Limits - The Department of Homeland Security began looking into ways to turn telephones into biological detectors during George W. Bush’s presidency. But the programme is up against several constraints. Since the GPS signal only works well outdoors, the detection system would be of no use in shopping malls and inside other buildings. The sensor would also use up mobile phone batteries more quickly.
Synkera Technologies (Longmont, Colorado)Specialised in chemical sensors, ceramic membranes, functional nanocomposites and ceramic MEMS devices, Synkera Technologies is working with SeaCoast Science and the equipment manufacturer Qualcomm to develop a chemical and biological sensor adapted for use in mobile telephones.Gentag Inc (Washington DC)Specialised in radio identification systems (RFID chips) used in mobile telephones, Gentag has developed a range of sensors, some in association with eV Products, specialized in X-ray and Gamma-ray detection.
82940127|XMLExtract_INT_614.xml
Document INTON00020100407e63p00016
Posts
