Inventor claims to have built device that can see through walls.

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In summary, Troy Hurtubise has invented a device that can see through walls. He has been featured on the Canadian Discovery Channel a few times, and claims that his latest invention, the Angel Light, can see through walls. Some skeptics have doubts about the validity of the device, pointing out that Hurtubise has a history of hoaxes.
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Perhaps you’ve heard of Troy Hurtubise. He’s the guy who built all those bear proof suits a while back in the hopes that he could one day survive a grizzly bear attack. He was also featured on the Canadian Discovery Channel a couple of times since then for his invention of a cheap and effect anti-fire paste and high strength armour. Well this time he claims that he has built a device that can see through walls. Here’s the article: http://www.baytoday.ca/content/news/details.asp?c=6657

What do you guys think? I’ve seen him in the Discovery Channel a few times, and while I think he’s kind of crazy and very eccentric, I must say that his inventions (the fire paste and armour) do have merit. I hope this is true.
 
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  • #2
I've seen this guy's inventions also. I would like to see a demonstration.
 
  • #3
I wouldn't hold my breath. This has all of the earmarks of a hoax: New laws of physics, a mysterious new device built without blueprints and seen in a dream, many quotes from un-named sources, multi-colored lights [always needed for a good hoax], the Hyde Effect [ :rolleyes: ], which provides the delay needed to sell the hoax. Even the name "Angel Light" sets off my fraud alarm. Perhaps the bear suit sales have run out and he was getting desperate.
 
  • #4
weird that he can see through an entire wall, yet on his hand it only penetrates his skin so he can see his blood vessels...
 
  • #5
Besides, every homeowner in America already owns a device that let's them see through walls. :rofl:
 
  • #6
This looks like very bogus to me, not to say that such a thing is impossible. Just a few things like: “I turned it on—that was well over a year ago—and it worked and it was really awesome.” "Really awesome," sweet dude. Also, why do they have a picture of the device, but not have a picture of it in action. He has had it working for, according to him, "well over a year", so why not a pic of it in action?
 
  • #7
I'm convinced.

While the picture doesn't show the entire machine, I believe that the big white tube is on wheels, and those things sticking out of the side are handles. Six medium/large men, one on each handle, a bit of sweat, then you might be able to see through the wall.
 
  • #8
So, its an overly complicated X-ray machine?
 
  • #9
You can see an object because the light reflected by this object reaches the sensitive cells of your retina.
If the electromagnetic radiation produced by the device passes through walls, why is it reflected by objects behind the wall? And in order to see those objects, the EM radiation must have enough energy to traverse the wall again.
 
  • #10
I was going to post a question on this device and dude
but I see you guys have allready started a topic on it/him
killing the fish and stoping cars are just nasty side effects?
well it sounds fishie and dangerious too
lets let the French have it they can't win a war anyway
 
  • #11
I thought this was going to be about windows. :rolleyes:
 
  • #12
Haha, Hurkyl beat you to the punchline. :biggrin:

Has anyone actually seen LCD windows used in a home or business? They are transparent when powered and opaque when off.
http://www.crd.ge.com/esl/cgsp/projects/le/lcd.html [Broken]
 
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  • #13
Gary Dryfoos, a consultant and former long-time instructor at MIT, said "there's a Nobel Prize" for Hurtubise if the Angel Light really performs as described.

"There are laws of physics waiting to be written for what he's talking about," Dryfoos said.

:rofl: Does anyone else detect a hint of sarcasm? :rofl:

I don't know if he can see through walls with it, but it sounds like he's microwaving everything around with it (it was described as having a microwave unit in it, and the "Hyde effect" sounds more than a tad suspicious). Glad I'm not his neighbor!
 
  • #14
Crap. I'm way behind times. I have not even seen a compelling demonstration of the grizzly proof suit. I assume it restricts freedom of movement. Then again, an attack by a sufficiently motivated grizzly would have a similar effect.
 
  • #15
Chronos said:
Crap. I'm way behind times. I have not even seen a compelling demonstration of the grizzly proof suit. I assume it restricts freedom of movement. Then again, an attack by a sufficiently motivated grizzly would have a similar effect.

Do I detect a Japanese toon superhero complex?
http://www.nfb.ca/grizzly/troy.html
http://www.cbc.ca/stories/2001/12/11/bear_suit011211 [Broken]

I've seen a great demo where he gets hit by a truck, and also a large log suspended by ropes to act as a battering ram. The truck knocked him a good ten feet through the air and onto his heavily padded butt. There is no way around it, that hurt! :rofl:

Also, now I know why he went into the angel light business
The bear seemed worried by the giant suit at first, but then ripped the chainmail apart. [continued]
http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_470054.html [Broken]
 
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  • #16
Thanks for the link, Ivan. My sides hurt, but probably not as bad as his:
Ananova said:
Bear-proof suit scares animal then is ripped apart.
The first test of a bear-proof suit has shown it might only work if it scares the animals away. Its Canadian inventor made the suit from titanium, steel and chainmail to withstand a full-on attack. The bear seemed worried by the giant suit at first, but then ripped the chainmail apart. In the first test Troy Hurtubise put his empty suit in a cage with a 92-stone male Kodiak bear. It was wary at first but then began jumping on the suit, ripping through the chainmail covering. Mr Hurtubise says: "You could hear the metal straining. He started to investigate the thing with claw and tooth. I should have used shark chainmail. Instead, I sent away for butcher's chainmail from France."
No doubt that would help.
 
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  • #17
I don't call the bear suit an invention.

It's common sense that a bear or any living thing on this planet can't break through a block of titanium.

Who in their right mind would walk around in that suit? Once you fall, you can NEVER get back up. You need a truck to lift you up.

This guy smokes crack and I know that for a fact. I'm Canadian, so I know what these kinds of Canadians do. ;)
 
  • #18
Ivan Seeking said:
Also, now I know why he went into the angel light business
I saw a program where he was testing some of his inventions, (they didn't quite succeed) which is why I'd love to see him demonstrate this new device.
 
  • #19
Evo said:
I saw a program where he was testing some of his inventions, (they didn't quite succeed) which is why I'd love to see him demonstrate this new device.

They can't show him demonstrating it because it fries all the cameras when he turns it on! :rofl: I wonder what this guy's insurance rates are like?
 
  • #20
Evo said:
I saw a program where he was testing some of his inventions, (they didn't quite succeed) which is why I'd love to see him demonstrate this new device.

I saw all of his inventions succeed... (Except the some early prototypes of the bear suit)
 
  • #21
Do you have a link to a demo of a successful prototype of the bear suit?
 
  • #22
Ivan Seeking said:
Do you have a link to a demo of a successful prototype of the bear suit?

Nope. Actually I thought he did survive an encounter with a bear but that was before the suit. He spent a week in bear country waiting for a grizzly attack but didn't run into any. Here are some video clips of the tests though.

http://projecttroy.com.nexx.com/website/videos.htm [Broken]
 
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  • #23
Troy was supposed to field test the latest version of the suit, the Mark VII, in summer 2002. A film clip is available here http://www.nfb.ca/grizzly/. Unfortunately, I don't have the software to play it - file format is .ram. I understand the full length video is/was available on Amazon and, according to rumor, it includes some pretty entertaining footage. I can only imagine. I think the suit weighs around 150 lbs, so running away from an ecounter is probably not an option.
 
  • #24
Chronos said:
I think the suit weighs around 150 lbs,

Now there's a practical invention. :rolleyes: Yep, I think I'm going to head out for a nice leisurely stroll in the woods on this beautiful summer day; I better strap on that 150 lb bear-proof suit. :yuck: And if you know you're going to be working around grizzlies, such as at a zoo, don't you want to be as agile as possible to get the task done quickly, before the anesthesia wears off?
 
  • #25
When I heard this report on "Coast to Coast AM" with George Noory (Who never
seems to question ANYTHING) ,I thought of a report I once heard saying the
police and others have a device that can see through walls but it is a THERMAL
IMAGE device and can pick up temperture differences so in other words: It can
see through walls. (OR was this only a movie I saw?) :rofl:
 
  • #26
INFRARED IMAGER AND IR THERMAL CAMERA CATALOG
...Thermal images cannot see through walls, although you can gather much information about the inside of the wall as well as what is happening on the other side of the wall. For example you would not be able to see people and plants involved in an illicit indoor growing operation from the outside of the building. You would be able to see and monitor the heat escaping from the building that would be a telltale sign of an indoor growing operation. Click here for legal cases involving thermal infrared for narcotics detection You would also be able to see things like studs inside the walls, or damaged insulation in roofing applications. We hope that dispels a few of the most common myths regarding infrared energy. Thermal imagers in Hollywood and in real life are very different. The remainder of this paper will focus on the real life thermal imagers and how they work...
http://www.ir55.com/milcam.html [Broken]
 
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  • #27
Featured on TechTV and I had to look up the article myself, now a thread on here. Hmm, sounds an aweful lot like the typical "science regengade shows all" article with miracle properties. Especially with the "...defied all known rules of physics..." comment.

I'll give the guy this much credit, his antics have given him a lot of press exposure. One show from the science channel went to watch a test of his armor as observed by a rep from the military and so on. Nevermind that other companies show practical armor that doesn't need 6" to encompass 60 layers of steel/aluminum/kevlar and so on to accomplish this level of protection, instead he claims it'll work in the current conflicts for cheap and gets press coverage. :confused:

Best part of the bear suit is the flimsy hinged helmet for the wearer. Loosing an apendage would be bad enough but the one on top kinda tops the priority list. :smile:
 
  • #28
Moonbear said:
Now there's a practical invention. :rolleyes: Yep, I think I'm going to head out for a nice leisurely stroll in the woods on this beautiful summer day; I better strap on that 150 lb bear-proof suit. :yuck: And if you know you're going to be working around grizzlies, such as at a zoo, don't you want to be as agile as possible to get the task done quickly, before the anesthesia wears off?

That's the problem I have with the thing. It kind of strikes me as a neat idea *in theory.* In practice though, I can think of very few situations in which the bear suit is the best alternative. A tranquilizer gun, running like heck, not entering a cage with a ticked off grizzly, etc. all seem to be better, cheaper, and lighter options.
 
  • #29
Grogs said:
That's the problem I have with the thing. It kind of strikes me as a neat idea *in theory.* In practice though, I can think of very few situations in which the bear suit is the best alternative. A tranquilizer gun, running like heck, not entering a cage with a ticked off grizzly, etc. all seem to be better, cheaper, and lighter options.

Yep, just staying home is much safer IMO.
 
  • #30
I once heard that bears don't like the sound of two large rocks pounded together; allegedly an old Indian [native American] trick. Does anyone know if this is true?
 
  • #31
Oh my... I heard the inventor in an interview on Coast to Coast. He's a total nutjob. He claims to have "loads of friends" in the scientific community several of which are nobel lauriats as well as "loads of friends" in the military whom he has come over to his lab and sweep for bugs which crop up regularly. Ofcourse he also states that Navy Seals couldn't get into his place if they tried due to all the boobie traps. He says that he's been attacked by three bears (before the bear suit) and shot and stabbed several times. The best part was when he said that he gets lots of help from his scientist friends since they know that he knows nothing about science. He was absolutely hilarious.
 
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  • #32
Boobie traps? Is that like putting flypaper in your girlfriend's bra?
 
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  • #33
TheStatutoryApe said:
He says that he's been attacked by three bears (before the bear suit) and shot and stabbed several times.

I'm not surprised. If you saw him wandering around in his bear-proof suit, wouldn't you just shoot him to prove the point that it is useless/for your own amusement?
 
  • #34
A Hoax

I believe this is a hoax. Not only does it go against the laws of physics, but the article is poorly written. The structure is incorrect, (i.e. punctuation) and there are typographical errors throughout the article. I'm not perfect at writing, but any editor would see that there are spelling mistakes that should have been addressed.

Though some of his claims like killing fish and losing feeling in his fingers is highly possible with this device the overall claim points to a hoax due to the lack of proof. A radar with high enough power can roast a bird out of the sky, which is what I believed happened in the case of killing the fish and damage to his finger. He basically cooked them... That is if the device actually was in existence.

PsychoSquirrel
 

1. Can this device really see through solid walls?

The inventor claims that the device can see through walls using a combination of advanced sensors and imaging technology. However, without further evidence and testing, it is difficult to determine the accuracy of this claim.

2. How does the device work?

The exact workings of the device have not been disclosed by the inventor. However, it is likely that it uses some form of electromagnetic waves or radiation to penetrate the walls and capture images or data on the other side.

3. Is this technology safe?

There is no way to know for sure without more information and testing. However, any technology that uses electromagnetic waves or radiation should be thoroughly tested for potential health risks before being used.

4. Can it see through all types of walls?

Again, without more information and testing, it is difficult to determine the capabilities of this device. It is possible that certain materials or thicknesses of walls may hinder its effectiveness.

5. When will this device be available for purchase?

As of now, the inventor has not announced any plans to release the device for commercial use. It is also important to note that any new technology must go through a rigorous testing and approval process before it can be sold to the public.

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