The Prism company in Cambridge, MA. sells backpack spy technology to police and refuses to identify the police departments.

There’s a new tool available for soldiers, special forces, and police officers who must surprise a high-value terrorist or enact a hostage rescue: a one-man backpack radar that can see through walls.

The radar technology is a few years old, but the device — the Prism 200c system from Cambridge Consultants — fits into a small pack and weighs less than 15 pounds. It provides data on the location and movement of people inside a room or building on a handheld device, meaning only a single operator is needed. That’s a big advantage in the field; previous systems were heavier and required a second person with a laptop computer to receive the data. The new system also offers improved battery life.

The company that makes it is headquartered in Cambridge, England, but has a second office in Cambridge, Mass., and expects significant interest in the Prism in the United States.

“We’ve had a number of phone calls about it here,’’ said Wayne Booker, the company’s vice president of government systems, who works in the Kendall Square office. “We’ve had systems in the country already, but . . . I can’t really tell you where they are.’’

Confidentiality is a key concern; the company does up to 10 percent of its business with special forces and law enforcement. “It’s fair to say we are normally very, very shy about talking about the work we do’’ in those areas, said Hugh Burchett, director of defense and security business, speaking by phone from Britain.


Link:
http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2011/05/09/backpack_radar_technology_enables_surveillance_through_walls/