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Different wavelengths of T-rays are absorbed or reflected by different materials. By looking at when and which wavelengths are reflected or absorbed, researchers see what a piece of artwork is hiding. "The timing of the T-rays is critical," said Whitaker. "Without it you can't distinguish the depth. It's something like a pulsed radar." There are currently two T-ray machines the researchers use to examine art. The first is a stationary machine at the University of Michigan. The other is a portable one the size of a breadbox from Picometrix, a company founded by a former University of Michigan faculty member. Right now the T-ray images appear only in black and white. The next step is generating full color images of buried artwork. "The potential of this technique is very exciting," said Daniel Mittleman, a professor of Eletrical and Computer Engineering at Rice University who does T-ray research but was not involved in the Michigan study. T-rays won't eliminate the need for other imaging techniques, he said, but will instead "be a complimentary technique that will reveal new information."
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