This smartphone sensor can see through walls

The WalabotDIY uses 3-D imaging to reveal studs, electrical wires, and pipes inside the walls of your home, making it easier to hang pictures or mount shelves

An easy-to-use wall censor attaches to your smartphone.

A smartphone sensor that sees through walls could "become the favorite tool of every home remodeler," said Dean Takahashi atVenture Beat​. The WalabotDIY uses 3-D imaging to reveal studs, electrical wires, and pipes inside the walls of your home, making it easier to hang pictures or mount shelves.

(Image credit: Courtesy image)

It can also detect termite damage or rodent nests. The device, which magnetically snaps to the back of most Android smartphones, analyzes radio emissions and reflections from objects inside the wall. It then generates a 3-D image of the room's walls on the smartphone. The device is now on sale in the U.S. for the special price of $200, but will eventually cost $300. "You don't want someone punching a hole in your sewer pipes by accident," said Raviv Melamed, CEO of Israel-based manufacturer Vayyar Imaging. "It's like real Superman vision."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us