Student prize sniffs out airport trouble

March 22, 2004

Student prize sniffs out airport trouble
Handheld chemical sniffer based on Windows CE .Net
wins Microsoft security challenge
VNUNet.com, UK

Students have developed an airport security checkpoint
device that collects information from boarding passes
and sniffs out security risks. 
The device, a combination of a mobile handheld based
on Windows CE .Net 4.2 and a chemical sniffer, can
alert security staff if a passenger is on the US
government's suspicious persons list or is carrying
dangerous substances.

Developed by students from James Madison University,
the device was the winning entry in a competition
organised by Microsoft in collaboration with the
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers'
Computer Society International Design Competition.

The Windows ChallengE competition, a component of the
larger CSIDC, saw teams of students from US
universities attempt to design and implement a working
prototype device that "enhances human safety".

Microsoft said the handheld uses an adaptive algorithm
that enables it to become smarter and more accurate
over time, such as determining the difference between
normal items for personal use and dangerous items such
as soap-based explosives.

Teams were judged on the originality and design of
their prototype, their documentation of the working
device, and the device's potential for use in a
real-world application.


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