A laser-based system found in self-driving cars could be used to detect migrants crossing US borders illegally.
Quanergy Systems, a start-up company based in California, presented its Lidar-based system at the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas, which uses ultraviolet, visible, or near infrared light to map nearby objects in high resolution.
The technology has been suggested as a cost-effective solution to President Trump’s border wall, with less environmental impact.
'Lidar can see day and night in any weather and can automatically track intruders, and give the GPS coordinates in real time to patrol officers,' said Louay Eldada, chief executive and co-founder of the Silicon Valley startup.
'A barrier is an eyesore and it intrudes on the environment, it impedes the flow of wildlife,' Mr Eldada added.
Lidar’s long-range provides very high resolution images, which will enable officials to analyse the behavior of a person and see their ‘every articulation’; helping to differentiate between a patrol officer or someone attempting to cross a border illegally.
The firm adds that it will be much cheaper to install and to operate, costing about 3-4% of the price of a physical barrier for the entire US-Mexico border.
Quanergy Systems displayed how the Lindar border security programme is being used by pilot projects on the India-Pakistan frontier as well as a small section of the southern US border.
Trump’s proposed border wall plans have been fiercely opposed by Democrats, which has resulted in a shutdown of the federal government.
On January 8th, 43 million people watched as Trump gave a defiant address from the Oval Office, where he demanded congressional Democrats fund a border wall that he has promised for nearly four years.
'How much more American blood must we shed before Congress does its job?' Trump asked.