Homeland Security Is Developing Technology to ‘See’ Through Walls

The devices can help law enforcement and firefighters assess dangers without getting too close to the object of interest.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security seal in Washington on Aug. 12, 2024. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is working on Deplife, a technology that uses radar to “see” through walls.

The idea is to provide law enforcement and firefighters with “valuable intelligence and situational awareness in often precarious situations,” the department’s Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) said in a June 10 statement.

Deplife uses two main components, radar and a user interface device, to display results, according to a November 2023 S&T statement. The radar emits radio waves that detect motion and ascertain whether the target is a live object.

The initial Deplife system required the radar to be attached to a tripod and deployed directly against a wall.

S&T collaborated with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Lincoln Laboratory and has now tested a version that can be used from a safe standoff distance, according to the June 10 statement.

For instance, an officer will be able to hold the radar away from the wall of a house in which suspects are hiding without having to get close. Also, firefighters can use the tech to check for people trapped inside a burning building before entering the structure. The radar could also be mounted on a drone.

“We are developing a tool that can withstand minor movements—hovering drone vibrations, light wind ... even a responder’s breathing—while holding the device,” said S&T Program Manager Anthony Caracciolo.

The device is capable of scanning through drywall and the outer walls of a typical single-family home.

In April, S&T and MIT evaluated Deplife’s technology on drones and handheld devices held by an operator. The results were “successful,” according to the statement.

S&T developed Deplife in collaboration with New Jersey-based MaXentric Technologies LLC. This year, the company started selling Deplife to law enforcement agencies across the nation.

“Already, several U.S. city and county agencies successfully tested and purchased Deplife. It has also been evaluated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which is now in the process of purchasing units,” the statement said.

Protecting America

S&T is working on various technologies aimed at strengthening U.S. security.

In an April 29 statement, S&T said that it was using artificial intelligence (AI) to modernize America’s threat alert systems.

It specifically highlighted the Kestrel cloud-based analytics system that uses AI, machine learning, and predictive threat modeling to allow operators to evaluate “all air and maritime tracks and make more timely decisions.”

In fiscal year 2023, these analytics resulted in a 500 percent surge in suspect activity detection by Customs and Border Protection and the Marine Operations Center, according to S&T.

“There are illicit things and people coming in, and we need these kinds of capabilities to augment our operators to be able to identify them. The best way to do that is through automation,” said S&T’s Maritime Safety and Security program manager.

On April 24, S&T announced delivery of StreamView, a “groundbreaking digital forensic tool,” to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

StreamView analyzes livestream communications such as audio and video calls to help investigators identify high-risk actors and establish criminal intent. It is primarily aimed at combating human trafficking.

According to S&T, a StreamView prototype has been used at two ICE Homeland Security Investigations field offices since 2021, assisting in operations that rescued 133 child and adult victims, arrested 124 traffickers and buyers, and dismantled 29 criminal networks.

S&T is also looking to deploy the technology to detect drones along U.S. borders. In an April 22 statement, S&T said it coordinated with the Border Patrol’s Buffalo Sector and Canadian agencies to track movements of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) across the border.

UAS are often used by criminal groups to move drugs and other contraband between the United States and Canada, S&T said, adding that some UAS have become large enough to potentially transport a person.

The goal of the exercise was to practice locating and intercepting UAS flying in the vicinity of the Niagara River.