Physical Security Against Explosive Threats: Standoff Magnetic and Electro-optical Sensing and Target Characterization
Abstract
Physical security threats associated with asymmetric warfare are emerging both domestically and throughout the world at an alarming rate and thus the need for effective person-borne improvised explosive threat detection is clear. Multi-modal sensor packages capable of detecting and classifying suicide bombers or other person-borne explosives can be effective at standoff distances that remove monitoring personnel from the danger zone. We describe the rapid development and deployment of a multi-sensor person-borne threat detection system that interrogates subjects under conditions ranging from structured entry control points where single individuals are scanned to unstructured crowds in which a large number of subjects are simultaneously in view and traversing an area of interest in arbitrary directions. Utilizing complementary characteristics of electro-optical recognition and magnetic interrogation (target detection, localization, and discrimination), we combine sensor data to enable improved detection and reduced false alarms over single modality systems. The modular system comprises a fully unattended and autonomous monitoring unit cued by pyrotechnical and other electro-optical sensors to invoke an array of magnetic field detectors. The array of highly sensitive atomic magnetometers detect disturbances in the Earth's field to indicate anomalous ferrous materials that may be associated with hazardous threats such as concealed weapons
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 21, 2012
- Accession Number
- ADA580413
Entities
People
- Gregory Schultz
- Jack Foley
- Jonathan Miller
- Samuel Segal-jensen