(DM) – U.S. special forces are taking a more ‘intimate’ approach to remotely identifying targets, using lasers to sense their heartbeat. According to MIT Technology Review, the Pentagon has developed a prototype of the technology, code-named ‘Jetson,’ that uses infrared lasers to read a person’s cardiac signature. Though far less obvious than fingerprints or faces, people’s heartbeats have a distinct profile, making them among the most useful biometrics for uniquely identifying a person.
What separates the signature from others like it, however, is the fact that unlike a face, which may bear many similar features to another, heartbeats are entirely distinct. As noted by MIT, companies like Nymi are already using cardiac signatures — taken via a wrist-mounted pulse sensor — to identify people for security purposes. Another advantage that has made the type of detection particularly desirable for the U.S. military is the use of lasers, which allows for a relatively long-range. READ MORE
