Transportation

Sagem Morpho shows TWIC-compliant biometric reader
Card is designed to read encrypted biometric data, such as a digital fingerprint, perform the match to the card holder, and perform an active card authentication across a contactless interface
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New Jersey's Stevens Tech to lead research on port security
Hoboken is poised to become a center for research into port security
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First U.S. Littoral Combat Ship completes testing
Ship’s propulsion plant will power the ship at cruise speeds out to ranges exceeding 3,500 nautical miles and will also allow the ship to sustain sprint speeds over 40 knots
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The crisis of U.S. infrastructure, II
The U.S. infrastructure is elaborate — 4 million miles of roads, 600,000 bridges, 26,000 miles of commercially navigable waterways, 11,000 miles of transit lines, 500 train stations, 300 ports, 19,000 airports, 55,000 community drinking water systems, and 30,000 wastewater plants; maintaining this infrastructure costs money
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BAE adds to its autonomous airship portfolio
New airship, developed by Lindstrand Technologies, can carry payloads such as high-tech surveillance equipment up to 150 kg in weight to heights of more than 6,500 feet
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New plane design meet safety requirements
Delta-winged plane designs are claimed to be capable of carrying more than 1,000 passengers on a single deck with 20 exits and eight aisles; simulation shows they meet safety standards
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Debate over environmental impact of border fence continues
The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area is part of the U.S.-Mexico border, and all agree that the area’s ecosystem is particularly delicate; DHS wants to build a fence there, but environmentalists object
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Rising sea level threatens U.K. coastal rail lines
Andrew McNaughton, Network Rail’s chief engineer: “The effects of climate change, and in particular sea level rise, are likely to increase the severity of the wave, tidal and wind effects on coastal defenses”
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Biometrics to be used in fast-tracking trusted travellers through airports
The United States and the United Kingdom agree on using fingerprint, iris, and facial recognition technology to speed up frequent travellers’ journeys through immigration control
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Growing opposition to fingerprinting foreign visitors to U.S.
Legislators support airline industry’s contention that forcing them to fingerprint foreign visitors to the United States would ruin them financially; airlines say that fingerprinting 33 million visitors a year would cost $12 billion over 10 years
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DHS wants nearly 60 border watch towers
DHS proposes nearly five dozen towers, ranging from 80 feet to 200 feet tall, to be erected in rural areas in Arizona
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Robot sub recharger
Autonomous underwater vehicles perform more and more missions for both scientific research and security; charging their batteries, though, has always been a problem; a new patent application offers a solution
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Weight-sensitive aircraft seats
New plane or helicopter seats will rely on active suspension to sense the forces on the seat and change its levels of cushioning; the seat uses a magnetorheological fluid damper
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Airless tires may be a lifesaver in military combat
A Wisconsin company and Badgers researchers develop an airless tire that can withstand extreme punishment, even those meted out in military combat zones
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U.S., Jordan align cargo security standards
The new arrangement will enhance compatibility between Jordanian and U.S. cargo security programs
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