What's new in China's "spy" laser?

China has launched a laser system that can read letters the size of sesame seeds from a distance of 14 football fields.

Imagine standing on one side of a vast valley and being able to read the label on a wine bottle on the opposite hill, without using a camera, telescope or binoculars. Photo: @David B. Lindell.

Sounds like a scene from a spy movie, right? Well, you'll be surprised to know that scientists in China have just made it a reality. Photo: @Incredible Facts.

Recently, experts from the University of Science and Technology of China have developed a new laser system that can clearly identify small details, such as text containing millimeter-sized letters, from a distance of 1.36 kilometers (equivalent to about 14 football fields). Photo: @University of Science and Technology of China.

This laser-based image recognition system could be useful in a variety of fields. For example, it could allow archaeologists to examine ancient carvings and ancient texts on cliffs without having to climb them, and it could help environmental researchers monitor wildlife habitats from a distance. Photo: @Michigan Engineering News.

Until now, reading and recognizing small details from a distance has been a major challenge. Telescopes and high-powered lenses sometimes struggle because of distortions in the air, which blur and scatter light over long distances. That makes it nearly impossible to distinguish small features, like printed text. Image: @Phys.

The new approach, however, gets around those problems, by focusing not on the image itself, but on how light behaves as it hits and reflects off a surface. Image: @Phys.

This method is called active intensity interferometry. Here’s how the researchers used it for their remote-reading experiment: The study authors first aimed eight infrared laser beams at a distant target. The light reflected from the target was then collected by two separate telescopes, placed far apart. Image: @The Irish Sun.

These telescopes don’t just record images, they also track how the light intensity changes slightly from moment to moment. Next, the researchers use computer algorithms to process those changing patterns, and reconstruct the subtle details of the target’s surface, including tiny letters just three millimeters high. Image: @Elettronica In.

“Through outdoor experiments, we successfully imaged millimeter-sized targets located 1.36 kilometers away, achieving a resolution increase of about 14 times above the diffraction limit of a conventional single telescope,” the study authors note. Image: @ maser lab.

Laser-based systems are great, but they still have some limitations to realize their true potential. For example, current long-range reading systems require precise alignment of the laser and telescope, which can make it difficult to implement in a wide-scale real-world application. Photo: @Diamond Museum Amsterdam.

Additionally, the system requires a clear line of sight to the object and the target must be illuminated by the laser, so it may not be suitable for all situations, especially when reconnaissance is required under stealth conditions. Photo: @Intergalactic.

However, the team is currently working on improving it. Their next goals include improving the way the laser is controlled, and using AI-powered algorithms to recreate images even more accurately. Photo: @Laser Focus World.

Dear Readers, please watch the video : Actual video of driving on the Moon during NASA's Apollo mission. Video source: @Top interesting.

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/tia-laser-gian-diep-trung-quoc-moi-trinh-lang-co-gi-post1543858.html