Dare to Look Up? China Develops Surveillance Technology Capable of Identifying Faces from Space.
Researchers in China have made a significant breakthrough in imaging technology that could transform surveillance systems.
Scientists in China have made significant progress in imaging technology by developing a camera system capable of capturing facial details from a high vantage point on Earth. This innovation has the potential to transform global surveillance standards. The device is based on a synthetic aperture lidar (SAL) system, which features a wide field of view and uses laser beams along with advanced processing technology to create high-resolution three-dimensional images at long distances.
A team of researchers from the Aerospace Information Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Sciences conducted tests of this technology over Qinghai Lake, in a remote region of the northwest of the country. Aimed at reflective prism arrays located about 102 kilometers away, the device was able to detect details as small as 1.7 mm and determine the distance to objects with an accuracy of 15.6 mm. This capability is considered 100 times greater than that offered by leading spy cameras and telescopes that use lenses, allowing for, among other applications, the analysis of foreign military satellites with unprecedented precision or the distinction of facial features from low Earth orbit.
Despite the wide range of potential applications, laser-based technology does have some limitations. For example, it requires stable atmospheric conditions to obtain a clear view, meaning it cannot always be used when desired. Additionally, the system is not capable of focusing on moving objects, although future versions may address this limitation. Nonetheless, this development represents a remarkable advance in optical imaging technology and could revolutionize both surveillance and scientific observation.
Recently, the details of this research were published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal, Chinese Journal of Lasers.
