Cubic Tests 6,500 Asset Tags Through Mesh Network
Cubic Corp. [CUB] says its engineers recently completed a test of 6,500 mesh asset tags en route from San Diego for use in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, creating the largest 802.15.4 mesh network ever formed. “In our industry, the largest mesh network ever formed was a few hundred mesh devices at one time, so getting 6,500 tags connected is an industry high point,” says Mary Ann Wagner, president of Cubic Global Tracking Solutions. Once deployed, the tags will be used to track thousands of military vehicles that are being cleaned and prepared for shipment to other locations. The company believes that it can now design a 10,000 tag network for its customers. The tags form a wireless network by linking together and allowing secure data to hop from tag to tag until it reaches a gateway, which in turn transmits the data to the Cubic Global Tracking Solutions Device Management Center. Cubic’s mesh asset network solution is called “mist” and it consists of mesh asset tags that are attached to valuable and high risk assets for defense and commercial applications. The tags provide logistics intelligence, asset visibility, intrusion detection and ongoing situational awareness.
MDI Designs New X-Ray Source for Checkpoint Detection System
Morpho Detection, Inc. (MDI) says it has designed a new multi-focus X-Ray source that will allow its X-Ray Diffraction-based XDi checkpoint liquid explosives detection screening system to deliver no-stop carry-on baggage inspection. MDI says the XDi will offer airport security operators in Europe a system that will meet Type D certification for liquids at checkpoints. Type D refers to a requirement that no containers holding liquids or gels need to be opened in order for the screening system to determine if they are liquid explosives and the containers don’t need to be removed from carry-on bags. So far no screening systems have met the Type D certification requirement. “Morpho Detection’s XDi in-bag liquid explosives detection checkpoint screening solution is on track to help European airports meet their screening challenges when the liquids ban is lifted,” says Brad Buswell, MDI’s President and CEO. “We are confident XDi will deliver the high detection effectiveness, low false alarm rates and high throughput that will be required by airport operators.” MDI also says that XDi is expected to be capable of detecting explosive threats in laptops and smart phones, and in passenger’s bags within the next three to five years. MDI is part of Safran Group.
DNDO, European Agency Testing Personal Rad Detectors against Standards
The Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) and the European Commission’s Joint Research Center (JRC) have begun testing of personal radiation detectors against national and international standards at the Department of Energy’s Savannah River National Laboratory. The tests are the first in a series under the framework of the Illicit Trafficking Radiation Assessment Program+10 (ITRAP+10) to check the performance of nine categories of commercially-available radiological detection and identification instruments. Testing of nearly 100 instruments provided by manufacturers will occur throughout 2011 and 2012. The tests will provide federal, state and local law enforcement information about which radiological detection and identification instruments can best serve their operational needs and also provide manufacturers with insights to may allow them to improve their devices. The ITRAP+10 framework was established in 2009 by the JRC to assist in the detection of radiological and nuclear weapons and materials by developing recommendations that describe the technical and functional requirements for the equipment used to secure land, air and sea ports of entry.
Mercury Computer Systems Selected to Improve Checked Baggage Inspection Systems
Mercury Computer Systems [MRCY] says it has been selected by a global provider of security inspection systems to help accelerate the performance of its high-capacity checked baggage scanning equipment. Mercury says it is optimizing algorithms for application to powerful graphics processing and combining it with its software framework to enable the scanning systems to deliver ultra-clear images, improving the reliability of results, increasing security and expediting the screening process at airports and other transportation hubs. The name of the manufacturer that Mercury is supporting was not disclosed. Mercury says that the optimization will result in “extremely clear images being fed to the threat detection algorithms, reducing the number of false positives and supporting high belt speeds.”
TSA Set to Begin Deploying Next Round of AIT Systems
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has announced 29 airports that will receive Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) systems the agency recently purchased from L-3 Communications [LLL]. The AIT systems will be equipped with Automated Target Recognition software that enhances privacy and improves throughput. TSA in September purchased 300 AIT systems from L-3. There already are nearly 500 AIT systems deployed at 78 airports nationwide.
FLIR Introduces new Personal Radiation Detector
FLIR Systems, Inc. [FLIR] has introduced a new pager-sized personal radiation detector, the nanoRaider spectroscopic personal radiation detector (SPRD). FLIR says the nanoRaider provides the highest detector resolution available in a pager-sized device with sensitivity and identification capabilities not previously available in an SPRD. The company says the identification capabilities allow the device to “virtually eliminate” false alarms and false positives that are common with non-identifying pagers. The nanoRaider uses the same interface customers have with the identiFINDER for navigation as well as the One Touch Reachback capability for immediate reporting.
AOptix Introduces Simultaneous Iris and Face Capture System
AOptix Technologies, Inc., last month launched the InSight Duo, what it says is the world’s first biometric system with simultaneous ISO standards-compliant iris and face capture. AOptix says that InSight Duo provides iris and face capture within seconds from two meters away, enabling it to be used to meet border and aviation security requirements requiring high throughputs. The company also says the system can also serve enrollment and authentication applications such as trusted traveler programs and expedited processing at immigration or airport security checkpoints. The system is fully automated. “We’re seeing a great deal of interest in iris recognition as the biometric of the future, and a steady reliance on face recognition due to the pervasiveness of the technology,” says Joseph Pritikin, director of Product Marketing at AOptix.