One company in Paris is tackling two of the issues that threaten the future of air transport head on. FLIR Systems (Hall 3, A9) is demonstrating how it is protecting Logan International Airport in Boston, USA from terrorist threats and at the same time helping identify SARS carriers in seven countries.
FLIR Systems' infrared cameras are playing an important role in Logan airport's pilot project to increase its perimeter security, and detecting SARS victims at airports and hospitals in Taiwan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and China.
In the SARS deployment; the company's ThermaCAM is used to detect high body temperatures - a symptom of SARS - in a quick and non-invasive method. Temperatures above acceptable parameters generate colour and sound alarms, identifying people needing further examination.
Diagnosis
Guy Pas, FLIR Systems vice-president sales, Europe and Asia, says. "The technology is not a medical diagnosis but a highly accurate and effective first screening method for the disease."
Because the actual evaluation takes less than a second, the technology is useful for screening large numbers of people.
Operators can be trained to use the camera within a few hours and the method is safe for both operators and subjects. The ThermaCAM can be used inside or outdoors and operates on battery or mains electricity.
The range includes hand held systems as well as fixed installations. Says Guy: "Five years ago, this wouldn't have been possible. Today, improvements in image quality and accuracy mean something used to detect overheated fuses can now also be used to save lives."
FLIR Systems' thermography products are used in many other areas including predictive maintenance, defence navigation, electronic newsgathering and public safety.
Project
At Logan airport, the company is involved in the pilot project of an early warning system guarding the airport's perimeter fencing. Its ThermoVision cameras operate 24h a day and provide visibility over long distances and in all weather conditions, spotting things normal cameras cannot pick up.
The system uses VistaScape SDMS software which continuously analyses camera images and identifies abnormal movements or objects, tracking them from camera to camera. It can judge speed, direction and location and alert operators of any abnormalities. The pilot project runs until August 2003.
"This will be the first major airport installing an integrated thermal imaging perimeter security system that we are aware of," says Andrew Teich, senior vice-president, sales and marketing. "Fog, snow, sleet, rain and high humidity common to the Boston area need to be overcome for the system to be effective all of the time. The Logan test is validating these parameters under real-world conditions."
Source: Flight Daily News
