Patent ID: 8879688

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a radiation source configured to emit radiation, wherein the radiation comprises x-rays configured to at least partially penetrate an object; a collimator configured to form a beam using a portion of the radiation emitted by the radiation source, wherein the beam is directed towards a surface of the object; a detector system configured to detect backscatter formed in response to the beam encountering the object in which a shape of the detector system is configured to be changed from a first shape of the detector system to a second shape of the detector system using a structure in the detector system, wherein the second shape of the detector system substantially conforms to a substantially non-planar shape of the surface of the object, wherein the first shape of the detector system and the second shape of the detector system are different, and wherein the second shape of the detector system is a selected shape of the detector system, wherein the detector system comprises a number of sensors associated with the structure and configured to detect the backscatter; and an electromechanical system configured to repeatedly reconfigure the structure as a moveable platform moves relative to the object; and wherein: the moveable platform is associated with the detector system; the electromechanical system repeatedly reconfigures the structure using data from the number of sensors; and the electromechanical system repeatedly reconfigures the structure such that the shape of the detector system changes to substantially conform to the substantially non-planar shape of the surface of the object.