In laboratory tests the device, called a magnetometer, has already demonstrated very high sensitivity to the presence of a magnetic object simulating a rifle more than 30 feet away.

"With global terrorism on the rise, police and defense agencies around the globe are looking at promising remote sensing technologies designed to add another layer of protection," said Ronald Durando, mPhase's chief executive. "We believe the magnetometer could add another dimension to border and perimeter control in war zones and also bolster our own homeland security."

The prototype magnetometer has, at its core, a Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) device that exhibits very high sensitivity without cooling, as typically required for ultra-sensitive magnetometers used in medical and scientific applications. A number of designs are under investigation, some acting like a miniature compass with rotating structures, others acting much like a tuning fork or oscillator.

With movements only perceptible under a microscope, it is designed to detect changes in magnetic fields and could be used in applications to establish direction of movement of magnetic objects like hidden weapons or bombs.

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