TSA orders Qinetiq security system
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration orders a dozen of SPO units from Hampshire-based Qinetiq as part of a campaign to bolster airport security; SPO units are cameras which use millimeter wave technology combined with software algorithms to screen people one at a time — and do so from a distance of a few meters
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has ordered Qinetiq’s SPO threat detection system as part of a suite of travel security measures the agency is implementing. The TSA has purchased twelve SPO units from Hampshire-based Qinetiq under an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract which allows for additional purchases over the next two years. The agreement follows recent operational trials of SPO technology at the Staten Island ferry terminal and Pier 90 in New York City. Qinetiq’s SPO units are cameras which use millimetre wave technology combined with software algorithms to screen people one at a time. The technology detects and measures the waves naturally emitted by the human body and determines whether there are any cold objects — such as metals, plastics, and ceramics — concealed under a person’s clothing. Suspicious objects trigger an alert on the display monitor, prompting the operator to search the individual.
According to Qinetiq, the SPO system is particularly suitable for use in busy environments because it can detect concealed threats from many meters away without requiring passengers to slow their pace.
