Slightly off-topic question regarding sonar...

[kinganu123]

Given a powerful enough sensor, is it possible to pierce clothing via sonar and get back an actual reading? This is for a project and this question came up but couldn't find an answer. I know they use sonar for underwater and for pregnant women's, but is piercing through cloth actually possible?

[Al Skierkiewicz]

Anything that can affect sound will affect sonar to some extent. The type of clothing and it's thickness will determine the extent. As sound is absorbed by different materials and reflected/refracted by others, the effects will vary as the person moves and rotates in space. The effects are frequency dependent so experimentation with sensors of varying frequency (on different types and thicknesses of clothing) might produce acceptable results.

[kinganu123]

Thanks! Makes perfect sense