Saint-Gobain Introduces New Products for RPM Applications
Saint-Gobain Crystals has introduced the Extended Live Plastic detector for radiation portal monitor (RPM) applications, enhancing the capabilities of the radiation detection systems. Ohio-based Saint-Gobain says the Extended Life Plastic enables RPM systems to operate with high uptime, low probability of escapes, and more affordably. Customs and Border Protection uses RPMs at land, sea and airports of entry to scan cargo entering the U.S. for illicit nuclear materials. “Our low energy gamma sensitivity design decreases the chances of false negative scans and increases detection of shielded materials,” says Anton Zonneveld, the company’s manager of Business Development. “It also minimizes redesign time and costs when integrating into current installations.” Saint-Gobain has also developed NaIL, a solution that combines gamma and neutron detection into a cost-effective format. NaIL has already been commercialized for smaller radio isotope identification and detection systems, and interest is high from original equipment manufacturers for use in backpacks and portals, the company says. Saint-Gobain previously commercialized Neuport, a helium-3 alternative for the neutron detection model of the RPM.
Evolv Technology Says Scanner has Screened over a Million People
Evolv Technology says its Evolv Edge people scanner has been used to scan more than one million people worldwide in operational settings. The company, which currently has 45 employees, has distributors operating the Evolv Edge in 14 countries across the U.S., Europe, Middle East, and Asia, adding that the technology has been tested at five different government labs. Evolv says its physical threat detection and prevention system completed pilots at 30 different customer locations in 2017 and is being used to screen people daily at various types of venues globally including performing arts centers, stadiums, airports and hospitals. Customer engagement installations include Oakland International Airport, the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts, and a number of venues in New York City. Evolv Edge uses sensors to detect a range of metallic and non-metallic threats, while also integrating with facial recognition to identify people of interest. “These are truly motivating and critical milestones for Evolv as we fulfill a vision of a world where seamless security is possible anywhere,” says Mike Ellenbogen, CEO and co-founder of Evolv.
DHS S&T Hosts First Biometric Technology Rally
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate in March hosted its first Biometric Technology Rally at its Maryland Test Facility, testing face and face/iris recognition systems in a standard security checkpoint process for acquiring and matching images from a diverse volunteer population “within a realistic time constraint.” S&T says it tested systems from 11 industry participants representing 10 countries with performance goals around three evaluation metrics: effectiveness (identify 99 percent of all volunteers using the system in under 20 seconds); efficiency (volunteers could understand and use intuitive systems in under 5 seconds); and satisfaction (volunteers used a kiosk to rate their happiness after using each system with a goal of a 95 percent user satisfaction rate). Over the 10-day event, S&T conducted 4,368 system assessments using 364 participants, and collected 7,500 face images. “We are very pleased by the outcome of this rally,” says Arun Vemery, program manager and Biometric Technology Lead at S&T. “Not only will the results be beneficial for understanding the capabilities of cutting edge systems and driving future research and development, but industry participants gained a better understanding of the strengths and possible areas for improvement of their biometric systems, having now used them in a systematic, rigorous, and realistic, high-throughput environment.” S&T says that results from the rally will inform DHS procurement activities for operational tests, pilots and system acquisitions. S&T plans additional Biometric Technology Rallies focusing on different biometric modalities and areas of interest.