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Super Science Hijack ProtectionRonald Porep, Republished from SafetyIssues.com Vol 2 Issue 16 March 2003 |
Volume 4 Issue 44July 2005 |
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A portal sniffs people going through it
to be sure no one is carrying explosives or other banned substances. Inspectors use special glasses to see the screen of an x-ray machine to get a three dimensional image of what is in every bag going onboard with the passengers. Hijack prevention for the USS Enterprise? No! |
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Just some of the high technology being used to
keep bombs, hijackers and terrorists off your next flight. The
"Sentinel II" portal "sniffs" passengers as they pass through a
detection arch, analyzing air that is blown across passenger bodies for
particles of explosives or other banned substances. The Sentinel can screen up to 420 people per hour for traces of explosives without coming into contact with them. Passengers are directed into the portal, where air gently passes over their body to release any particles that are naturally absorbed by or cling to a person's clothing or body. These particles are then drawn into the instrument for analysis, using the technology of ion mobility spectrometry. Detection of these particles or vapors can indicate that a person is either carrying an explosive device or has come into contact with explosive substances. Operation of the Sentinel is automatic, with video and audio direction provided for those entering the portal. A digital camera takes up to three pictures of the person during the analysis and can be printed as a record. The x-ray machine lets screeners see inside hand luggage before passengers take the baggage on board. The new technologies add yet further deterrent to anyone approaching the airport with sinister intent, describes Director of Security Ian Hutcheson for BAA, the owner of seven United Kingdom (UK) airports, including the world's busiest international airport, Heathrow International, where these two new air terrorism devices are being tested. BAA also has management contracts or stakes in ten airports outside the UK, plus retail management contracts at two airports in the United States (US) Boston Logan International Airport and Pittsburgh International Airport - making the company the largest airport operator in the world - responsible for the safety of over 200 millions air passengers per year. That means you will soon be seeing the sniffer and 3-D x-ray machines at an airport you use. |
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