It’s one superpower that’s been envied throughout the ages, but a new spin-off company of MIT researchers might be bringing X-ray vision devices to the consumer market in just two years.

As PC World reports via IDG New Service, the new X-ray devices, called “Emerald,” might be available as soon as 2017 and cost only $250 to $300.

Put that on your must-have gift list for 2017.

MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab, or CSAIL, has been working on the technology for more than two years, but are now spinning off an entity to focus on making the X-ray vision gadgets market ready.

Photo via MIT
Photo via MIT

How does it work? The technology is called RF Capture, and as CSAIL demonstrates in the above video, it sends wireless transmissions that are then reflected off a person’s body back to the device, therefore “seeing” a body behind a wall or other obstacle.

“By tracking the silhouette, the device can trace a person’s hand as he writes in the air and even distinguish between 15 different people through a wall with nearly 90 percent accuracy,” reports CSAIL.

Potential markets for the X-ray device include emergency response teams, elderly care, police and fire departments, and the military.

Of course, more fun, civilian-related uses for this tech are already seen in gaming, virtual reality and filmmaking, too.

See more on the potential uses for this X-ray vision from MIT below:

Like what you're reading? Subscribe to GeekWire's free newsletters to catch every headline

Job Listings on GeekWork

Find more jobs on GeekWork. Employers, post a job here.