By DDN |
14 years ago |
10/27/2009

Reveal Imaging Technologies has received a $3.9 million contract from the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Science and Technology branch to develop a whole body imaging system based on active millimeter wave sensor technology and acoustic sensors. The three phase effort includes a feasibility study, algorithm development and performance testing of a prototype multi-technology, automated personnel inspection system. Reveal says it will be working to fuse data from the millimeter wave and acoustic sensors to provide automated decisions, reducing reliance on operator interrogation of images. In turn, “We’re hopeful that the end result will improve personnel screening and address many of the industry’s privacy concerns,” says Mike Ellenbogen, Reveal’s president and CEO. Reveal, best known for its reduced-size computed tomography explosives detection systems used to screen checked baggage at certain U.S. and international airports, acquired a small company last year called Xytrans, which has expertise in millimeter wave technology for security applications (TR2, Nov. 26, 2008). Reveal’s acoustic sensing capabilities are “home brewed,” Ellenbogen tells TR2. Fusing data from both technologies will provide better system performance than either technology alone. Customers are looking for “red light, green light decisions” from the detection systems, he says. Ellenbogen says the DHS contract runs about two years. Based on the number of metal detectors deployed in a wide range of applications, the market potential for personnel imagers are “huge,” he says. This new development from Reveal fits right in with the rest of the work the company is doing in aviation security applications. In addition to its EDS systems, Reveal recently introduced an X-Ray-based system for carry-on bags called ArrayCT (TR2, June 10). “And if you look at what our customers are asking for using on a day to day basis, the baggage screening goes hand in hand with personnel inspection at checkpoints and the ability to automate more of these functions really lets you consider integration of more complete solutions for them over time,” he says.