Situation Assessment
The health and
safety of individuals placed at risk often depends on the ability to assess
situations quickly and accurately. For example, hostage and terrorism situations
require knowledge of building interiors and the location and identification of
individuals. Fire fighters need methods to determine whether or not burning
buildings are occupied. Search and rescue teams must be able to locate hidden
survivors in debris or other materials.
In all of these cases and many others, it is
vital that users be able to carry out this assessment remotely so as to avoid
endangering more people. Many dangerous situations also require that assessment
be done discretely so as to not alert criminals to the intentions of law
enforcement personnel.
Active (radar) millimeter wave imaging systems
are able to "see through" most wall materials, providing the
technology of choice for developing situation assessment systems. Such systems
extend the ability of users to view activities from one or two rooms away, or
from the outside of a building into its interior. Using this technology,
hostage, terrorism, demolition, and other unlawful and dangerous situations can
be assessed remotely and evaluated for action.
Millimeter wave radar imaging systems can be
made extremely sensitive to movement, even to the level of detecting
heartbeats. This makes them ideally suited for search and rescue and other
applications where individuals may be alive, but unable to respond to rescuers.
And active millimeter wave systems use low radiation levels incapable of
penetrating human skin making them completely safe for operators and other
individuals in the scene.
Much of the technology developed for passive
millimeter wave imaging can find application in active millimeter wave radar
systems. Millivision's development plans include leveraging our proprietary
focal plane array technology to meet the additional demands of the security
market for active systems. To learn how Millivision can help you meet your
situation assessment needs, contact us.
Concealed Weapon Detection
The possible
danger posed by the presence of concealed weapons is felt in many areas of our
society. From airports and courthouses to schools and amusements parks, we are
now confronted with the need to search individuals for concealed weapons to
ensure public safety. Such searches must be efficient, accurate, and involve
minimal inconvenience for the individuals being searched.
Traditional searches for concealed weapons are
limited by many factors. Metal detectors, the current choice for many
applications, are limited to detecting metal objects, allowing dangerous items
such as non-metal guns, ceramic knives, and plastic explosives to go
undetected. The high rate of false alarms and the lack of location information
also limit the effectiveness of metal detectors for this purpose.
In addition to valuing our collective safety,
our society also values individual liberties. Thus, although frisking might
provide an effective search technique, it is unacceptable in terms of invasion
of privacy in many situations. X-rays can provide an effective search of
luggage and other items, but perceived health risks make them unacceptable for
searching for weapons concealed on a person.
Passive millimeter waves sensors, combined with
advanced imaging software, are ideally suited to the task of concealed weapons
detection. Able to "see through" most clothing materials, such
sensors also provide shape and location information to aid in determining
whether a detected item poses a threat. By using only the natural existing
emissions in the scene, passive systems guarantee safe and non-invasive
operation with as much discretion as the situation requires.
Millivision brings together decades of
experience in developing state-of-the-art millimeter wave sensors and advanced
imaging software applications to provide the next generation of concealed
weapons detection systems. To see how Millivision can help you meet your
security needs, explore our products in development listed below or contact us.
Handheld Scanner
Millivision's Handheld Scanner
will be a portable device, similar to a "radar gun," used to scan
individuals for concealed weapons or other contraband. The Handheld Scanner can
supplement existing walk-through metal detectors, or be used alone in security
situations where its portability and small size make it more convenient than a
fixed device. It is designed to be especially useful in situations that may
require an impromptu search, such as in military and civilian policing
activities.
Like Millivision's other passive millimeter wave products in development, the
Handheld Scanner relies solely on the existing natural millimeter wave
emissions from subjects and objects in the scene. By not exposing the subject,
operator, or any bystander to any man-made radiation, complete safety is
ensured. Using millimeter wave imaging techniques allows the device to detect
metallic and non-metallic weapons, plastic explosives, drugs, and a wide
variety of other contraband.
The Handheld Scanner will be a manually operated, self-contained,
battery-powered device consisting of a sensor mounted in a housed assembly with
a pistol grip and LCD display mounted on the rear of the unit. Planned options
include a boresighted visual TV camera to provide visible light images, which
can be used for visualization and to protect subject privacy. Scanned over a
subject, in much the same manner as a flashlight is scanned over a large
object, the Handheld Scanner will generate a sequence of sub-images of the
subject. Integrated imaging software then constructs complete images from this
sequence of sub-images, identifies suspect objects in the image, and highlights
these objects in the display.
The Handheld Scanner is in development with emphasis on
refining the small, lightweight, robust components required for successful
field application while maintaining reasonable per-unit cost. Contact Millivision for additional product details or
for information on partnering with Millivision to create products to meet your
security and safety needs.
Gateway Scanner
Millivision's Gateway Scanner
will check for concealed weapons and other contraband hidden under the clothing
of people entering sensitive areas through well-defined portals. The Gateway
Scanner will use the naturally occurring millimeter wave emissions from the
objects in the scene to detect metallic and non-metallic weapons, plastic
explosives, drugs, and other contraband hidden under multiple layers of
clothing without the necessity of a direct physical search. This passive image
formation technique uses no man-made radiation, ensuring complete safety for
operators, subjects, and bystanders.
Civilian applications include security at airports, courtrooms, correctional
facilities, government and commercial office buildings, schools, banks and
other financial institutions, high-value manufacturing plants, and other areas
where metal detectors are in use today. Military applications include, in
addition, the protection of secure facilities and the screening of civilians
for concealed weapons and explosives at border crossings and security
checkpoints.
The Gateway Scanner will use a multiple-line millimeter wave
sensor capable of producing moderately high resolution line-scanned images. The
software component of the system will compose these lines into a complete,
calibrated image, perform object-detection, and optionally alert operators to
the potential existence of concealed items. This imaging software will also be
used to correct for small movements by the subject, enhance image quality, and
help preserve privacy, making it an essential component of the system.
Contact Millivision for additional product details or
for information on partnering with Millivision to create products to meet your
security and safety needs.
Security Applications
Whether screening airplane
passengers, monitoring secure areas, or establishing the presence and locations
of concealed people and items, a wide variety of security and safety
applications share many of the same concerns. Ideally, these systems must be
able to
· detect different kinds of objects (not just metal or specific gases)
· provide information on the identity and location of concealed items
· distinquish people from other scene objects
Security and safety systems
must also be difficult to countermeasure and acceptable to operators, subjects,
and bystanders in terms of safety, privacy, and convenience.
Products in Development
Millimeter wave technology
offers the opportunity for developing a new generation of security and safety
products. Millimeter waves can pass through walls, clothing, and packaging to
detect hidden people and objects. Not limited to metal, millimeter-wave-based
systems allow the detection of ceramic weapons, plastic explosives, drugs, and
other contraband. Millivision is developing a line of passive millimeter wave
security products that are:
Non-invasive: Passive systems use only the
natural radiation present in the scene.
Safe: Using no man-made radiation ensures
complete safety for subjects, operators, and bystanders.
Difficult to
countermeasure:
Inanimate objects emit different radiation signatures than living beings,
making attempts to disguise contraband ineffective.
Effective: Advanced imaging software overcomes
resolution and visualization limitations.
The specific requirements of
individual application areas demand tailored solutions. Millivision's
specialized products range from units nearing production to development
prototypes. We are eager to work with you to develop products to meet your
security and safety needs. Contact Millivision for
information on product availability or partnering with Millivision.
About Millimeter Waves
Millimeter Wave Characteristics
Millimeter waves
are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths in the range 1 cm to 1 mm (with
corresponding frequencies of 30 to 300 GHz), located between the microwave and
infrared portions of the spectrum. Because they are capable of "seeing
through" most packaging, clothing, and many wall materials, while still
providing sufficiently detailed images, millimeter waves are ideally suited for
use in security and emergency applications.
Safety and User Acceptance
Millimeter waves cannot
penetrate human skin, thus security systems based on millimeter wave technology
are completely people safe. Human skin, however, is naturally highly emissive
in this wavelength, allowing sensors to distinguish between people and other
items in a scene, an important feature for many applications. These natural
emissions also make it possible to create completely passive sensors that rely
solely on detecting the existing radiation in a scene, further ensuring user
acceptance and safety.
Millivision utilizes
the unique characteristics of millimeter wave imaging to provide advanced
technology and products for the security industry.
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