"Bat inspires space tech for airport security"

Thursday, October 13, 2005

Bat inspires space tech for airport security
The European Space Agency


Metal detectors currently used for screening aircraft passengers could soon
be supplanted by novel millimetre-wave cameras, able to detect even
non-metallic concealed objects. The new system, named after a Brazilian bat,
is based on technology developed for ESA spacecraft. Tadar is being
demonstrated at this week's Inter Airport Europe Exhibition in Munich.
 
Conventional metal detectors, such as those used to check passengers at
airports, are limited in that they can only detect metal objects. Other
security technologies such as the X-ray imaging used to screen luggage, are
unsuitable for checking people because of their use of ionizing radiation. 

An Irish company has now come up with a new security imaging system that can
'see' all objects, not just metallic items, by the use of only safe natural
energy. Named Tadar, after the Brazilian Tadarida bat, it uses
millimetre-waves to detect and identify suspicious objects hidden under
clothing or to see through cloud and fog, in the same way that the bat uses
high-frequency signals to navigate and locate insect prey in the dark. The
high-frequency energy pulses emitted by the bat bounce off objects in its
path and the reflected signals are interpreted by different types of sensory
cell in the bat's brain to determine both the location and physical
properties of these objects.  

"This new system is based on advanced microwave technology that Farran, now
part of the Smith Group, has developed for space systems," explains Tony
McEnroe, Managing Director of Farran Technology. "We developed the knowledge
and skills while designing and packaging millimetre-wave devices for ESA
projects. By integrating a novel scanning technology we have achieved a
unique system for detecting and imaging items for security applications." 

Tadar's sensors detect energy naturally emitted or reflected from objects,
by using approximately 3-mm wavelengths that are completely harmless to
people. At this wavelength clothes become transparent but dense objects such
as explosives and weapons hidden under clothing block the body's natural
radiation and reflect a clear profile of the blocked energy field. 

Door keys, money, pocket knives and other objects that we normally carry in
our pockets will stand out clearly. Even weapons produced in non-metallic
materials and plastic explosives which conventional metal detectors cannot
'see', will clearly be identified, as well as liquid substances. Each type
of material has its own frequency response and will produce its own
representative 'colour' image, almost like a fingerprint. 

High-frequency space components for new security system 
 
Founded in 1977, Farran Technology has been supplying ESA for years with
high-frequency microwave components and subsystems. Since 1998, the improved
materials used for integrated circuits have permitted the production of
integrated circuit devices able to operate within the millimetre-wave
spectrum - the 30-300 GHz range of the frequency spectrum - used for a broad
range of applications from advanced astronomy to broadband radio
communications. 

This advance enabled Farran to develop an in-house capability in the design
and development of high-frequency circuits. Working together with the
National Microelectronics Research Centre (NMRC) in Ireland and Fraunhoffer
Institute in Germany, Farran led an ESA project in developing Monolithic
Microwave Integrated Circuits (MMIC) technology for operating in the 100 GHz
band. 

This area of the spectrum is very useful for inter-satellite communications
due to its high signal bandwidth and low data loss. The first prototype
devices have been successfully built and tested and will be delivered to ESA
later this year. It is this very special expertise that Farran has used to
develop their new Tadar camera. 

Tadar in action - from up to 50 metres away 

When someone stands in front of the Tadar camera they are scanned
fully-clothed to measure their body's natural radiation against a
temperature controlled background panel. The presence of any dense object
will block the body's natural energy and the Tadar camera will detect the
background temperature that is reflected off the object. The resultant
thermal contrast presents a clear image of the suspect object. 

"The Tadar millimetre-wave imaging system employs patented mechanical
scanning technology with state-of-the-art millimetre MMIC front-end
circuits, resulting in high performance and low costs," McEnroe adds. "This
novel scanning technology can refresh the image ten times per second,
allowing a 'walk by' screening operation that takes no longer than
conventional metal detectors." 

"The system can work in passive and active mode, without any change in its
mechanical or optical configuration. In passive mode the person to be
screened must stand in front of the system, while in active mode the system
can produce three-dimensional images of a scene, even at a distance of over
50 metres," emphasises McEnroe. 

"The primary applications for our Tadar system are security screening of
people in airports and buildings where conventional metal detectors are used
today. In future, the same technology could also be used to improve on
existing infrared-based enhanced vision systems that enable pilots to see
through clouds, as well as identify foreign objects on airport runways." 

ESA's industrial delegate with Enterprise Ireland, Tony McDonald, says: "We
are encouraging Irish companies such as Farran Technology, which have
developed skills through working on ESA Space programmes, to exploit them
commercially." 

The ESA Technology Transfer Programme (TTP) in Ireland was launched in
February 2003 by Irish Prime Minister, Bertie Ahern. More than 100 Irish
companies participated at the launch event in Galway. 

Pierre Brisson, Head of ESA's Technology Transfer and Promotion Office,
says, "This important advancement in security systems that has been
developed in Ireland, illustrating the potential of our space technologies
developed by European companies." 
 
Tadar on display
 
The Tadar system was unveiled this week by Smiths Detection at the Inter
Airport Europe Exhibition in Munich Airport. The exhibition is open until 14
October. Later this month it will be demonstrated at the IATA AVSEC World
2005 exhibition on aviation security taking place 25-27 October at the
Crowne Plaza Hotel in Geneva, Switzerland.

Attached Photo's:

Tadar scanning

Detecting prey with high-frequency signals. The Brazilian Tadarida bat has
given name to the new security scanner Tadar built by Farran Technology.
Tadar can 'see' all its objects, not just metallic items, by the use of
millimetre-waves to detect and identify suspicious objects hidden under
clothing or to see through cloud and fog, in the same way that the Tadarida
bat uses high-frequency signals to navigate and locate insect prey in the
dark. The Tadar system is based on advanced microwave technology that Farran
has developed for space systems. 

Space component for ESA project. The Irish company Farran Technology
supplies ESA with high-frequency microwave components and subsystems. Since
1998, the improved materials used for integrated circuits have permitted the
production of integrated circuit devices able to operate within the
millimetre-wave spectrum - the 30-300 GHz range of the frequency spectrum -
used for a broad range of applications from advanced astronomy to broadband
radio communications. This technology has now been used to build the
improved security scanner Tadar. 

Tadar security system. The Irish company Farran Technology has developed a
new security imaging system that can 'see' all concealed objects on a
person, not just metallic objects by the use of a millimetre-wave camera.
The technology originates from microwave and millimetre-wave systems
supplied to ESA. The Tadar system can work in passive and active mode. In
passive mode the person to be screened must stand in front of the system,
while in active mode the system can produce three-dimensional images of a
scene, even at a distance of over 50 metres.

Expertise in millimetre-wave space technology used to develop new security
scanner. Farran Technology has developed a new security scanner to be used
for example in airports based upon the expertise from producing microwave
and millimetre-wave systems for ESA projects.

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