New Rover To X-Ray Scan For Explosives Detection

New Rover To X-Ray Scan For Explosives Detection

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Explosives pose a danger to innocent civilians in conflict areas, in airports, in mass events and more. However, bomb squads are risking their lives even more trying to locate suspicious objects and neutralize them. A new breakthrough in the field will allow bomb disposal squads and other first responders to decrease the risk to their lives during their important missions.

The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s First Responders Group (FRG) is working on an x-ray scanning rover called XSR to be used as eyes for first responders. The robotic vehicle scans suspicious packages and bags quickly and accurately to make sure they contain no explosives.

S&T says that while other handheld scanning systems require multiple images to be stitched together, the XSR provides a complete 3-D, multi-view picture of the entire object being scanned in real time, saving first responders precious time. This technology offers an alternative to other large, bulky, expensive options that may have limited ability to operate in remote areas or rough terrain.

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According to the project manager, one of the advantages of this system is that it can process images at a very fast speed, providing first responders with a clear, high resolution picture of any potential threats in real time. Another advantage of this new system is its ability to embed the detection technology within the bomb squad’s current robotic operating systems, so that there is no need to buy an additional robot.

Unlike most existing scanners that use pulsed X-ray energy for detection, the XSR robot features a continuous, fan-shaped operating X-ray beam, permitting a higher degree of penetration through dense packaging. The prototype also includes 3-D coordinates that mark the location of an explosive device within a suspicious package, a capability previously not found in scanners. Two initial prototypes of the robot are expected to be complete as soon as summer of 2016, when they will be sent to several bomb squads in the United States for field testing.

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