Forget those cheesy Dick Tracy gadgets, the Defense Department announced that they have developed Superman-like X-Ray powers for the troops in a $1,000 2.5lb AA-battery powered device.

Next perhaps they’ll develop a scope-like version to mount on wall-piercing super-ordinance. Why bother trying to clear a room when you can sit outside in an armored box and pick off targets like fish in a barrel?

Proposals are expected this week for the new “Visi Building” technology that’s more than a motion detector. It will actually “see” through multiple walls, penetrating entire buildings to show floor plans, locations of occupants and placement of materials such as weapons caches, Baranoski said [from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Special Projects Office].

“It will give (troops) a lot of opportunity to stake out buildings and really see inside,” he said. “It will go a long way in extending their surveillance capabilities.”

What happens when the troops lose one, or even a shipment, to their enemy? Is there authentication built-in?

From a home-front perspective I can’t imagine this not being of interest to local law enforcement or federal agents, especially on stake-outs but perhaps even on routine neighborhood calls. And back to the question of authentication controls, what happens when they fall into the hands of criminals?

What length will you go to to ensure your walls aren’t transparent to the law, or law-breakers, who get their hands on these devices? Who do you trust and what controls should be in place? Lead underwear is probably just a start…