“With the 2012 London Olympics approaching, the need for advanced security measures in sporting arenas has never been more critical – and this is where sensing technology delivers,” said Phil Cooper, director of the Sensing & Instrumentation Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN).
“The sensing experts across our network have produced a range of state-of-the-art sensors, many of which are being used by security agencies to mitigate terrorist attacks.”
ThruVision Ltd, an Oxfordshire-based security screening equipment manufacturer, is now deploying passive security screening products that display images of objects concealed under clothing from a distance.
Totally passive
Unlike X-ray systems, ThruVision’s products are totally passive. ThruVision’s sensors collect terahertz waves (low-energy waves, naturally produced by people and objects) to provide non-intrusive real-time images of concealed objects. And ThruVision products present no privacy issues as body detail is not revealed.
“ThruVision’s products offer security staff the ability to passively screen people at various stand-off distances for concealed objects, thus giving them precious time to react accordingly,” ThruVision’s Jonathan James said.
The novel terahertz security imaging technology forms images of threat or contraband objects – metallic and non-metallic – hidden under clothing from 25m away. This means a threat can be unobtrusively detected and identified well before it enters a sporting arena.
The technology can provide images of explosives, liquids, weapons, plastics, ceramics, and narcotics, regardless of whether the subject is still or moving, and it has been used at various entrance security screening locations, including the America’s Cup held in Spain.
One second detection
Other sensing security examples include start-up company LiteThru, which has developed a handheld sensing device that can accurately identify the chemical composition of a potential liquid explosive within one second.
And Symetrica, a producer of radiation detecting systems, is helping police, coastguards, boarder guards and customs officials detect radioactive substances that could be used by terrorists. Its handheld sensing device uses technology originally developed for space missions to study gamma-rays (electromagnetic radiation emitted by radioactive decay) from explosions and dying stars.
