Abandoned baggage at airports and train stations are sources of potential danger for emergency personnel because they may contain bombs. (Source: Flickr, Credit: Beth Jusino).
It is easy to abandon one’s baggage when one is caught in the chaos that is characteristic of airports and train stations. However, the consequence of such a mistake is not light. The emergency services have to enter the scene on the assumption that the baggage is an improvised explosive device (IED) and take caution around the potentially dangerous baggage (1). In order to make these screenings proceed both safer and quicker, researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques (FHR) in cooperation with criminal investigation authorities are developing a remote-controlled sensor system that can scan the baggage for potential bomb threats (1).
The remote-controlled sensor system is comprised of a millimeter wave scanner, a high resolution camera, and a three-dimensional environment monitoring system (1). Mounted on the robot, the sensor system enters the danger zone and makes a three-dimensional survey of the scene with the monitoring system. The camera captures images that can provide a reliable digital preservation of evidence of the potential bomb to later identify the perpetuators. The wave scanner allows for visualization of the content of the baggage.
To improve their sensor system, FHR researchers are further developing the millimeter wave scanner for quicker assessment and generation of more in-depth content images. They are using what is called the synthetic aperture radar, or SAR, principle that allows the sensor to move along a certain trajectory (1). Their future goal is to determine the optimum trajectory for scanning the baggage of danger.
Until now, emergency services had no choice but to destroy suitcase bombs to ensure the safety of others in the surrounding area. However, the remote controlled sensor system now makes way not only for improved forensic capabilities but also for minimization of risk for emergency personnel (1).
References
- Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. (2016, January 4). Remote-controlled robot inspects suitcase bombs. ScienceDaily. Retrieved from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/01/160104081240.htm