A research team at the University of California, Berkeley has demonstrated a prototype PIR sensor capable of detecting human motion through walls. The breakthrough uses a metamaterial lens that focuses infrared radiation through common building materials.<\/p>\n
The key innovation is a metamaterial lens designed to operate at infrared wavelengths. Metamaterials are engineered structures with properties not found in nature. This lens:<\/p>\n
The complete sensor prototype includes:<\/p>\n
In laboratory tests, the sensor demonstrated:<\/p>\n
The metamaterial lens does not “see through” walls in the visible sense. Instead, it focuses the infrared radiation that does<\/em> penetrate the wall. Most walls are partially transparent to certain IR wavelengths, particularly in the 8-14\u00b5m band. The lens collects this faint radiation and focuses it onto the sensor array.<\/p>\n The research team is working on:<\/p>\n If development continues successfully, the researchers estimate:<\/p>\n The researchers acknowledge privacy concerns and are working with ethicists to develop guidelines for responsible use. “This technology should only be used in life-saving or security applications with appropriate oversight,” said the lead researcher. “We are also exploring privacy-preserving features like low-resolution imaging that can’t identify individuals.”<\/p>\n The research is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" March 2026 \u2013 Berkeley Breakthrough in Through-Wall Sensing A research team at the University of California, Berkeley has demonstrated a prototype PIR sensor capable of detecting human motion through walls. The breakthrough uses a metamaterial lens that focuses infrared radiation through common building materials. The Technology Metamaterial Lens The key innovation is a metamaterial lens […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"\r\nPotential Applications<\/h2>\n
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Limitations and Challenges<\/h2>\n
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Next Steps<\/h2>\n
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Commercialization Timeline<\/h2>\n
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Ethical Considerations<\/h2>\n
Funding<\/h2>\n