Arktis Introduces New Flat Panel Gamma Detector
Arktis Radiation Detectors has introduced a new flat panel gamma detector that comes in a slimmer form factor, with “modest size, weight and power requirements,” enabling new deployments and improved detection. Arktis says the detector allows operators to distinguish dangerous radioactive isotopes from benign ones. With the new form factor, Arktis says the flat gamma detector can be concealed behind walls or billboards. The company also says that signal processing can be integrated onboard the detector, allowing for integration into other systems. “Successful trials have already been carried out in drone applications, where sensitivity per payload is key,” Arktis says.
DHS S&T Testing Wearable Sensor for First Responders
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate is working with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory to test the Wearable Alert and Monitoring System (WAMS) to bring Internet of Things emergency communications to first responders. The WAMS device monitors and tracks the first responder and their environment, recording and reporting things like oxygen levels in the mission space, the presence of carbon monoxide, abnormal heart rhythms, elevated body temperatures and increased respiratory rates. “WAMS is a hub that connects all stakeholders and conveys actionable information when and where it is needed,” says Cuong Luu, S&T’s program manager. “We envision WAMS to be an innovative and low-cost, low-barrier to entry, wearable device and communications system that improves job safety and increases mission success for first responders.” The development of WAMS builds on previous work under the AUDREY and PATS efforts. Next up for WAMS is to test its functionalities in actual field condition and ensure it will be useful to first responders.
U.S. Providing $7M for Chemical Weapons Testing Lab
The U.S. Defense Department’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency is providing $7 million in assistance over two years for the construction of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) Centre for Chemistry and Technology in The Netherlands. The OPCW was established to ensure the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention treat, which is aimed at ending chemical weapons worldwide. The new laboratory will enable the organization to enhance investigatory capabilities, to safely synthesize small quantities of chemical weapons agents for research, and to evaluate and deploy analytical and protective equipment. Other states will also provide donations to build the lab.
DHS S&T Helps Develop Tool to Aid X-Ray Operators in Finding Threats in Cargo
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and the Transportation Security Agency are collaborating on the development of a new algorithm to help X-Ray system operators find threats in air cargo. S&T funded development of the Opacity and Complexity Analysis Software Tool (OCAST) to help find threats in cargo and to help the operators determine which areas don’t pose a threat, despite complex X-Ray images. “TSA is interested in augmenting existing systems to improve their performance and reduce burdens on the operators,” says Kumar Babu, S&T’s program manager for Air Cargo. “OCAST does this with powerful imaging software. It is essentially an automatic algorithm that analyzes an image and provides an operator a description of the complexity of the image. The operator can use that score plus their own view of the image to determine whether to pass the cargo or investigate further.” The tool gives the operator a red, yellow or green report. Red means re-inspect by breaking the cargo skid down, yellow means the software is unsure and the operator should investigate further, and green means go if the operator agrees. OCAST was first tested live last October at Seattle Tacoma International Airport on a machine provided by Astrophysics. Testing was done by S&T’s Transportation Security Lab personnel at Alaska Airlines’ cargo facility. Next up will be integration of the OCAST software with a full-size cargo skid scanning machine provided by Astrophysics. A lab demonstration is set for early this year and S&T want to eliminate the uncertain yellow light returns. This June, TSA plans to use OCAST to support its air cargo screening efforts.
DroneShield Partners with Saudi National Wireless Provider
Australia’s DroneShield, which develops and produces counter unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS), says it has been added as a partner to Saudi Arabia’s only national licensed operator of instant collective wireless services, STC Specialized. The companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding agreeing to cooperate on sales opportunities in Saudi and the Middle East, with a particular focus on government customers in the Kingdom. DroneShield says that it will supply its drone detection and CUAS products and STC will manage local relationships and provide pre and post-sale customer services and support.