Anchor Lede: One day, people at public gatherings could be screened for weapons, like guns or explosive devices, without going through a detector or even knowing they’re being checked.

Randy Atkins: Radar waves tuned to a high frequency could remotely screen people for weapons says Kamal Sarabandi, an engineer at the University of Michigan.

Kamal Sarabandi: We are using this frequency band because it has the ability to penetrate through clothing, but when it hits the surface of the skin it reflects.

Randy Atkins: Sarabandi says the waves are harmless and cannot produce photographic images. The backscatter waves, however, could be analyzed by a computer as quickly as people can stream into a stadium.

Kamal Sarabandi: It does not require an operator intervention for interpreting what radar sees or whether the person is carrying something.

Randy Atkins: Recognized weapon backscatter signatures would set off an alarm. With the National Academy of Engineering, Randy Atkins, WTOP News.

Anchor Tag: The technology still needs a few years of engineering before it will be ready of deployment.

• University of Michigan news release