US Radar's instrument works by sending out pulses that create an electrical echo when they collide with an object. The echo created by moving the radar across the surface of the underground object is used to create a picture, similar to that generated by ultrasound. Having made Stud Sensors since 1980, Zircon is now planning to employ ultrawideband technology in a new product. The device would detect steel or other material embedded in up to 18 inches of concrete or similar surfaces. Construction crews need to know what they're drilling into when using diamond-tipped drills because hitting steel instantly destroys the costly tips.
Zircon hopes to have the ultrawideband technology in use by next year.
Assuming the official test results from all three companies show no harmful effects on the spectrum at large, most industry analysts expect the FCC to give ultrawideband the green light. When this happens, at least 10 other companies are waiting, ready to begin marketing everything from tracking units that provide continuous readings of your child's whereabouts in a crowded amusement park to devices able to pinpoint the location of victims trapped in the rubble of a collapsed building. Broadband may be the hot topic today, but ultrawideband is ready to heat up tomorrow. The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.