Coast Guard Plans CRADA to Evaluate Autonomous Detection and Tracking Systems
The Coast Guard plans to enter into cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) with companies to evaluate autonomous detection and tracking systems to determine their potential use in search and rescue planning. The Coast Guard will provide video output from various sensors to detect and characterize targets for search along with collaboratively developing methods to evaluate the effectiveness of the autonomous detection and tracking systems to allow for the integration with accepted search planning systems and methodologies. Based on recent demonstrations, the service is considering partnering with Zelim to investigate their artificial intelligence-based casualty detection system,
SARBox. The Coast Guard seeks input on the possible participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. Responses are due by Dec. 2. Contact: Shelly Wyman, project official, aviation branch, Coast Guard R&D Center, [email protected].
Liberty Defense Begins HEXWAVE Testing at Toronto Airport
Liberty Defense on Nov. 1 began two weeks of beta testing of its HEXWAVE walk-through people scanner at Toronto Pearson International Airport, the first airport in Canada to trial the security detection portal. The testing will include voluntary screening in an employee area and a location at the perimeter of the airport, including an entrance from the terminal parking garage. The testing will inform improvements to HEXWAVE’s artificial intelligence machine learning algorithms and gather user feedback. “The HEXWAVE’s ability to act as an additional lawyer of security at airports, extending the perimeter of the secured area to include the entrance to the airport itself, is an advantage,” says Bill Frain, Liberty’s CEO. HEXWAVE is also being tested at a number of other locations and the company is working with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to evaluate the portal for expanded detection and throughput capabilities to screen aviation workers at an airport to be designated by the agency.
Chertoff Group Consulting Methodology Receives Renewed SAFETY Act Designation
The global security advisory firm The Chertoff Group says its proprietary Security Risk Management Consulting Methodology has received renewed SAFETY Act designation by the Department of Homeland Security, providing limited liability protection. The Chertoff Group says the consulting service use used to help organizations assess, mitigate and monitor physical and cybersecurity risks to their operations. The service can be used to assess various security measures against relevant threat scenarios and then build out and valuate that a security program effectively defends against these threats. The Chertoff Group says that to get the DHS approval, it had to prove that its methodology demonstrated substantial utility and effectiveness, as well as availability for immediate deployment, among other factors.
RedWave Introduces ProtectIR for HAZMAT Responders
RedWave Technology has introduced ProtectIR, a handheld emergency response tool that can identify more than 22,000 solid and liquid compounds, including harmful toxic industrial compounds, chemical warfare agents, explosives, narcotics, petroleum products, corrosives and even consumer products. ProtectIR is based on Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. “The ProtectIR can identify nearly twice as many chemical threats than comparable FTIR based products,” says John Seelinbinder, director of product development at RedWave. “Results are immediately available on the device and on connected mobile devices using RedWave’s cloud-based TeamLeader App. This advanced technology allows for remote viewing and advanced analysis by senior team members outside of the hot zone in near real time.”