Gadget that’ll detect hidden bugs to hit markets soon

Vijay Mohan

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 13

The detection of hidden bugs and hostile electronic devices has become easier and more economical, with a newly developed indigenous electronic stethoscope expected to hit the market soon.

Developed by the Central Scientific Instruments Organisation (CSIO) here, the technology for the gadget was transferred a few days ago to a Baddi-based electronics manufacturing firm for commercial production.

“Electronic stethoscopes are widely used by the defence services, para-military forces police and bomb-disposal squads, but these are imported and cost over Rs30 lakh a piece,” Dr Navneet Aulakh, whose team at CSIO developed the gadget, said. “The instrument we have developed not only costs a fraction of the price of its foreign counterparts, but would also be easier to procure,” he added.

The electronic stethoscope is used to detect weak impact sound, mechanically oscillating metal components and a range of electronic timers that are used in improvised explosive devices or air dropped ordnance. It has two sources for detection. A hand held ‘contact search head’ is used for the detection of sound travelling through surrounding objects such as pipes and packing material.

The other detector is referred to as the ‘high frequency non-contact search head’, which is in the form of a half-a-meter long antenna, which is used to trap sound waves resulting from oscillating mechanics. The non-contact head can penetrate materials such as wood, packing and plastic.

The audio signals from the detectors are received by the operator through a pair of headphones weighing about 4 kg; it operates on batteries and can function in a temperature range of minus 15 degrees to 55 degrees Celsius.