The Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) testing of automated target detection (ATD) algorithms on whole body imagers in three airports has been “successful,” according to Michael Strianese, chairman, president and CEO of L-3 Communications [LLL].
“We remain on track for certification of our system in the near-future and expect ProVision orders to include our ATD software,” Strianese says on L-3’s first quarter earnings call last month. He adds that there is potential to retrofit the ATD software on the company’s installed base of ProVision Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) systems.
L-3 has sold over 600 of its ProVision systems to customers worldwide. In February the TSA began testing ProVision systems upgraded with the ATD software at three airports (TR2, Feb. 16). At the time TSA Administrator John Pistole said the airport testing would likely last 45-60 days.
Strianese says the laboratory testing of the ATD software is ongoing.
TSA operates AIT systems supplied by L-3 and OSI Systems [OSIS] Rapiscan Systems division. Rapiscan is still developing its ATD software to be installed on the company’s Secure 1000 AIT systems.
Deployment of the ATD software on the AIT systems is expected to eliminate the privacy concerns associated with the machines, which provide a detailed image of the exterior of a person’s body to a Transportation Security Officer stationed remotely. With the ATD software installed, the AIT machines presents a mannequin-like image of a person and highlights the area where a potential threat may be located, making a follow-up examination and search easier.
TSA has purchased nearly 500 AIT systems and Congress approved the purchase of another 500 in the FY ’11 budget.
Strianese says L-3 continues to receive requests from international regulators for demonstrations and trials of the ProVision system. He adds that the company expects to conduct a trial this spring of the ATD software on a ProVision system in Australia.