Qinetiq has unveiled a millimetre wave (MMW) detection system able to find weapons, explosives and other items hidden in clothing. Unlike other security scanners, the MMW system does not rely on the concealed item being metallic.
Dr Kevin Murphy, product leader MMW technology Qinetiq Sensors and Electronics, says the scanner detects the MMW energy that is naturally reflected by the body - the sensor is passive and does not transmit any radiation. Competing systems use X-ray and gamma-ray ionising radiation.
Key technologies developed by the UK research and development company include the MMW optics, which allow real-time scans, while Qinetiq has also "learned to control the MMW environment indoors", says Murphy.
The skin reflects 30-50% of MMW energy while clothing is transparent, says Murphy. Solid objects - metals, ceramics, plastics, explosives - reflect the energy in different ways so the device is able to produce an image of the body with any solid object on it also visible. The system also eliminates the need for physical "pat-down" searches, says Murphy.
Murphy says the Qinetiq prototype allows a passenger to be scanned quickly enough, in less than 5s, to maintain throughput. A formal product launch is planned for next year, he adds.
The system was evaluated by UKairports operator BAA and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions late last month and early this month at London Gatwick airport. The US Transportation Security Administration is due to trial the system in September.
Qinetiq is also displaying a new aircraft cabin environment with a seat that monitors the occupant and adaptive lighting that reacts to the time of day and tasks such as the safety briefing. "Emotional walls" would allow the environment to interact with the passenger's cultural and language requirements, says David Howells, Qinetiq business development manager aerospace programmes.
Piezo-ceramic foam, which Qinetiq has developed, is used in the seats while another of its developments, flat-panel speakers, could also be used, says Howells.
Source: Flight International
