X-ray vision for your smartphone?

Imagine being able to see right through objects just like Superman. Well, X-ray vision may be coming to your mobile phone soon.

Researchers at the University of Texas at Dallas have developed a microchip for smartphones that uses an electromagnetic spectrum (between microwave and infrared) to see through walls, wood, plastics, paper and more.

Of course, all the media reports about this have gone straight to the voyeuristic, with fears about people using this technology to see through each other’s clothes on their smartphones. Researchers understand the fears and are dumbing down the technology so that it can only be used when you’re four inches away from the object you’re viewing.

But the legitimate uses for this are many. EMTs who come across an accident can use this technology to assess injuries before a patient gets to the hospital. In construction, it can be used to find studs in walls. Another use would be in detecting counterfeit money. Maybe it can even be used to potentially find tumors.

Harnessed properly, technology can have so many positive effects that you might not have imagined at first — because too many of us saw Superman movies!

Editor’s note: This segment originally aired June 7.