CBP Deploying Facial Comparison Technology to Laredo Port of Entry
Customs and Border Protection in early November began deploying facial comparison technology at its Laredo, Texas, port of entry to verify the identities of travelers arriving at the port. The technology initially is being deployed at three of 22 pedestrian lanes, two at Gateway to the Americas Bridge and one at a bus passenger lane at Juarez-Lincoln Bridge with the deployment at all 22 lanes expected to be completed by Dec. 2. For the bus lane, all passengers will disembark for processing inside the Juarez-Lincoln facility. CBP says that when travelers arrive to enter the U.S. at a pedestrian port of entry equipped with facial comparison technology, they pose for a photo at the primary inspection point. The CBP officer will review and query the traveler’s travel document, which will retrieve the traveler’s passport or visa photo from government holdings. The live photo taken at the inspection station will be compared to existing images in a government database using the Traveler Verification Service. The process takes several seconds and is over 97 percent accurate, CBP says. U.S. citizens may opt out of having their photo taken and advise the CBP officer they wish to undergo alternative screening procedures for identify verification. Photos taken of U.S. citizens at the port will be deleted within 12 hours.
American Integration Contractors, Dedrone in Drone Detection Partnership
American Integration Contractors (AIC), a systems integration company specializing in integrated surveillance, emergency operations and command and control, is partnering with Dedrone, adding new capabilities to its systems of systems approach in the detection of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). “We are excited to partner with Dedrone on this critical addition to our total drone detection offering,” says Craig Noel, AIC’s CEO. “AIC can deliver all aspects of a comprehensive drone detection solution to better protect our clients’ airspace. From initial site assessment all the way to deep interaction with our command and control system, AIC’s Dedrone partnership now provides our clients with a building block approach to a complete drone detection system.” Dedrone provides radio frequency sensors and cloud-based software to detect, classify, monitor and localize potential drone threats. The company also has the capability to counter UAS systems.
FLIR Introduces Latest Version of Fido
FLIR Systems [FLIR] has launched Fido X4, the company’s latest and most advanced version of its handheld explosives trace detector. The company says its TrueTrace detection technology features a new five-channel sensor array that delivers expanded threat coverage and can accurately detect a wide range of explosives at nanogram to sub-nanogram levels, including military, commercial, improvised and homemade explosives in as little as 10 seconds. The three-pound Fido can operate for 16 hours with two eight-hour hot-swappable batteries. The Fido X4 can be integrated with company’s PackBot unmanned ground vehicle for standoff threat detection. “Our new Fido X4 is mission-ready for all critical security applications, from high-volume checkpoint and randomized screenings to foot patrols and standoff operations, going wherever it is needed,” says David Ray, president of FLIR’s Government and Defense Business Unit. FLIR will begin shipping units in December.
Raytheon Developing Bomb Detector under DARPA Project
Raytheon [RTN] is developing a method to detect buried explosives based on synthetic biology under a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). The company and its partner, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, will program two bacterial strains to work in series to monitor ground surfaces for explosive materials. The first strain will detect the presence or absence of explosives buried underground. If the first strain detects explosives, the second strain will produce a glowing light on the ground’s surface. Remote cameras or unmanned aerial vehicles can be used to survey large areas to spot the glowing light. “We already know that some bacteria can be programmed to be very good at detecting explosives, but it’s harder underground,” says Allison Taggart, principal investigator for the Bio Reporters for Subterranean Surveillance program at Raytheon BBN Technologies. “We’re investigating how to transport the reporting bacterial to the required depth underground, and then pushing the luminescence up to the surface so it’s easily visible.”