The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate has awarded two contracts worth a combined $1.1 million to enhance drone detection and data privacy. Under a $750,000 contract, the Regents of the Univ. of Colorado will develop the DronePD drone intrusion detection and tracking system, which the directorate says is more-cost effective and relies on passive capabilities for detection and tracking. Current systems are expensive or require a dedicated radio frequency band to perform active scanning. Galois, Inc., received $399,900 to add risk and utility provide support for the Framework for Information Disclosure with Ethical Security platform.
The Air Force has awarded a sole-source contract to Rapiscan Systems for a drive-through Z-Portal vehicle inspection system to be used at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The system will be used to screen commercial delivery vehicles, cargo trucks, shipped containers, U.S. mail and other vehicles entering the base for illegal drugs, weapons, explosives, stowaways and other contraband. The Air Force says the system must inspect at least 250 vehicles per hour.
American Airlines has launched a 90-day evaluation of facial recognition technology at Gate 41 in Terminal 4 at Los Angeles International Airport for boarding of passengers on international flights. The camera technology is being supplied by Gemalto. For the pilot, travelers can opt to have their photo taken to verify their status on the flight and skip having to present their boarding passes. They must still present their passports. Customs and Border Protection uses the photo check to verify that foreign nationals are departing the U.S. in accordance with their visa terms.