A University of Sydney researcher has developed a prototype that will allow people to see through walls.

Xiaopeng Wang, a 25-year-old PhD student at Sydney University's telecommunication research group, has just completed successful trials of the device which uses electromagnetic waves to bounce information off walls.

Xiaopeng Wang with a portable UWB through wall imaging system. Credit:Ben Rushton

"We can then process the waves to retrieve the information we want," said Mr Wang. "Then we reshape the wave so people can tell the shape of the object it has captured."

Mr Wang said that under the current model the technology can tell the shape and width of a human being.