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Printer FriendlyReprinted with permission from Popular
Science, August 1999.
© Copyright, Times Mirror Magazines, Inc.
Portable Crime Fighters
ULTRASONIC PULSE ECHO DEVICE Developed by Pacific Northwest Laboratory, this handheld unit uses sound waves to analyze the contents of a sealed container. The device calculates the velocity and amplitude of the sound echo and compares it against a preloaded digital library. It is currently being used in more than 20 countries by border guards and customs officials. The DOE is using it to control materials at its own facilities, and it is scheduled to be adopted by the IRS. How accurate is it? At a recent demonstration, it differentiated between cans of Coke and Diet Coke without a taste test.
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