You might not need to be a real Superman to have "X-ray vision," anymore. With the appropriate cutting-edge technology, the common Joe Blow can now see through things.
Researchers at MIT have created such a gadget in the form of a customized Microsoft Hololens headgear they're dubbing X-AR, as described in a recent study. And indeed, it gives the wearer a sort of capacity to see through objects.
Thankfully, it doesn't truly emit dangerous X-rays. To locate goods marked with radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, it really beams out radio signals. Then, as a holographic image, these goods appear, theoretically making it easier for a user to find them.
In a press release, senior author Fadel Adib, an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT, stated, "Our entire goal with this project was to build an augmented reality system that allows you to see things that are invisible — things that are in boxes or around corners.
When compared to how X-ray vision is used in comic books, the intended use of X-AR is noticeably less striking.
In essence, the technology is intended to assist warehouse and retail staff in finding specific goods among a vast inventory. The user would first utilize a floating menu to search for the item. Even if the item is hidden behind a collection of boxes and other items, when it is picked, its position is marked with a sphere and a projected route of footprints appears on the ground.