Infineon develops "thinking carpet" that tracks movement
Forget about card scanners, access codes and ID badges. For businesses that want security and stealth, the answer may well be the "Thinking Carpet." German carpet company Vorwerk Teppichwerke has teamed up with Infineon Technologies to come up with a prototype rug that uses embedded sensors to do everything from demarcate off-limits areas to sound alerts if intruders enter through a window. The system involves a combination of old-fashioned pressure-sensitive sensors (you know, the kind they've used in supermarket doors for ages) and modern microprocessors that can control the sensors and track movement throughout an installation. The system can even shut off sensors selectively if part of the carpet gets wet, with adjacent units picking up the slack. Pretty impressive, but what we really want to see is a floor that fights back, a shag rug that grabs an intruder by the feet and doesn't let go.
[Via The Red Ferret Journal]
