Liberty Defense has begun the first of an upcoming set of field tests of its HEXWAVE walk-through scanner that automatically detects weapons and other dangerous objects, including metal and non-metal, on people, a key milestone as the new company gets set to go to market in early 2023 with the system.
The initial beta test is taking place at one of the largest Hindu temples in the U.S. to screen visitors and worshippers.
“Visitors and worshippers should not have to worry about their safety,” says Dixit Suthar, security system administrator for the temple. “The temple receives thousands of visitors each week. The goal of increasing security training is to stay ahead of threats today and promote peace of mind. With HEXWAVE, we were drawn to the potential of enhanced detection of metallic and non-metallic explosives are a concern, be they liquid, powder, or plastic, as they are not detectable by other walk-through screening technology on the market today.”
Over the next two to three months, Liberty plans to conduct another seven beta tests of HEXWAVE at various other venues, including the Baltimore Oriole’s stadium, Delta Airlines in Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for employee screening, and the Virginia Capitol Police in Richmond. Each test will last one to two weeks.
The beta tests will give Liberty a wealth of performance data as it fine-tunes HEXWAVE before putting it on sale around next March and give users an opportunity to see how well the system performs and try it in different applications, such as visitor and employee screening, Bill Frain, the company’s CEO, told HSR in July ahead of the start of testing.
The first-generation of HEXWAVE will require people to pause briefly between two scanning panels, turn, and then go on their way. In the “next 12 months or so,” Liberty is hoping to introduce a walk-through capability for HEXWAVE, Frain said.
In addition to providing security officials with the ability to detect metallic and non-metallic threats and give users an automatic go, no-go decision, HEXWAVE provides benefits for people being screened because it doesn’t require them to divest coasts, cell phones, keys or other innocuous items.
TSA Plans
Liberty also plans to gear up for testing of HEXWAVE by the Transportation Security Administration that could lead to purchases by airports for employee screening. In Sept. 2021, the company won a $500,000 contract from the agency to enhance detection and throughput performance of HEXWAVE.
Frain said the TSA will likely first evaluate HEXWAVE in its TSA Security Integration Facility and then field test the system next summer at an airport for employee screening. TSA is essentially funding some of the development and will do some testing, he said.
If all goes well, it will be up to airports to purchase the system to screen their employees, he said.
Currently, different airports have different screening protocols for employees with access to the airside, Frain said. Airports are responsible for screening their employees, he noted.
Acting TSA Administrator David Pekoske, who is awaiting Senate confirmation for a second five-year term to helm the agency, has talked about replacing walk-through metal detectors at airports with HEXWAVE, Frain said. “So, that would be nice to see someday.”
TSA uses walk-through metal detectors at airport security checkpoints to screen travelers enrolled in the PreCheck trusted traveler program.
HEXWAVE uses millimeter waves, video-rate 3-D imaging, and artificial intelligence to detect and identify weapons and dangerous items on persons.