Frost & Sullivan Lauds Digital Barriers for its Novel ThruVision Technology that Taps the Terahertz Frequency Range for Passive Security Screening of People

Identifying the potential of THz waves and developing a robust technology that senses waves at optimum frequency underlines the visionary innovation at Digital Barriers

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/frost-sullivan-lauds-digital-barriers-070000889.html

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 28, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on its recent analysis of the terahertz (THz) security systems market, Frost & Sullivan recognises Digital Barriers plc with the 2016 European Frost & Sullivan Award for Technology Innovation. Digital Barriers has tapped into the relatively unused THz frequency band of the electromagnetic spectrum to develop its ThruVision technology for detecting concealed threats in public spaces, transportation and borders.

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"Several years of technology development in the field of sensing THz waves enabled Digital Barriers to identify the 0.25 THz frequency as the most appropriate frequency for detecting concealed objects including firearms, improvised explosive devices, illegal powders and liquids," said Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Sumit Kumar Pal. "In due course, the company brought to market its THz security system, ThruVision, which can generate real-time images of the person being scanned. This compact, lightweight system can be easily deployed and operated, unlike traditional security scanning systems that are largely immobile."

Traditional technologies have inherent disadvantages; for instance, X rays are intrinsically harmful, while millimetre (mm) wave scanners provide high resolution images with minute anatomical details of individuals. The ThruVision camera, on the other hand, passively senses THz waves in the far infrared range from the body of objects and humans and develops a heat map-based image. The amount of emissions depends on the temperature of individual materials and objects, and is used to differentiate different objects concealed under clothes. The real-time images can be viewed on-site as well as remotely, with various colour contrasting views.

Digital Barriers' ThruVision technology (ThruVis) and associated products will find increased application in industries such as transportation security, event security, public spaces, retail, as well as people screening in airport security, customs and other homeland security areas. It has the ability to rapidly screen people while they are on the move at standoff ranges, so that the disruption to those being screened is minimal. With escalating security unrest in various parts of the world, ThruVis is expected to foster a more secure and safe environment in a multitude of settings.

The ThruVis product line consists of the TS4, TS4-C and TS5. While the TS4 has a range of 4-10 meters, the TS5 offers an extended range of 6 to 15 meters. The TS4-C aids full height body scanning at 3.5 meters and is aimed at high-profile sites. The sensors used in these systems are developed in-house and boast superior sensitivity and resolution. The advantages of ThruVis technology over traditional solutions include high detection rate, cost effectiveness as it requires no additional infrastructure, ease of use and faster response times. Moreover, the images generated do not stoke privacy concerns as no anatomical details are revealed.

Significantly, Digital Barriers have overcome the drawback of THz waves' tendency to be affected by warm and humid environmental conditions. Owing to this, the company has already tasted success in Asia, winning clients in seven countries in this region in 2015.

"Digital Barriers, offers various solutions under the security umbrella including zero latency real-time wireless surveillance capabilities, wearable devices, cloud-based analytics, integrated surveillance solutions using radar and ground sensors and THz sensing," noted Pal. "The company is focusing on providing complete solutions, instead of individual technologies; this focus on several associated technologies underscores its true visionary innovation."

The company depends on in-house R&D for technology development and has a formidable research team comprising experts in a range of areas. The strong pedigree of the research team enables Digital Barriers to develop and integrate emerging technologies seamlessly into its solutions. This has gone a long way in helping Digital Barriers deliver holistic security solutions to a variety of industries.

Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has demonstrated uniqueness in developing and leveraging new technologies that significantly influences both the functionality and the customer value of products and applications. The award lauds the high R&D spend towards innovation, its relevance to the industry and its impact on brand perception.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices awards recognise companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About Digital Barriers plc

Digital Barriers provides visually intelligent solutions to the global surveillance, security and safety markets. We deliver zero-latency streaming and analysis of secure video and related intelligence over wireless networks, including cellular, satellite, IP mesh and cloud, utilising significantly less bandwidth than standard technologies.

Our rapidly-installed fixed and mobile solutions for covert, remote and wide-area deployments, as well as vehicle and body-worn applications, have been sold into more than fifty countries, and have been proven in some of the world's most demanding operational environments. We also provide advanced video content analysis and body scanning to identify safety concerns and threats in real-time.

Digital Barriers THRUVIS- Passive THz

QUICK. RESPECTFUL. SAFE.

http://www.digitalbarriers.com/terrahertz-imagingOur TeraHertz scanners are the technology behind ThruVis, the world’s most advanced passive people-screening solution.

ThruVis provides a different approach to people screening. It employs our patented TeraHertz (THz)-scanning technology which was originally developed by the UK Government for satellite-based earth observation. ThruVis is able to ’see’ objects on the body, made of almost any material, from metals, to ceramics, plastics, currency, liquids, gels and powders - even under multiple layers of clothing. Because it uses an entirely passive sensor system, ThruVis units are completely safe in their operation as they are as harmless as a normal video camera.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

THZ SCANNING PRINCIPLES

THz scanning works by sensing the varying levels of natural THz energy emitted by people's bodies and using this to form a video picture. Concealed objects are seen, effectively, as cold or hot spots against warm bodies. As with normal cameras, ThruVis is able to see different-sized objects at different distances. Larger concealed objects are clearly seen on people at longer distances, while a person needs to be closer to the sensor for smaller objects to be seen.

The most important aspect of THz scanning is the specific frequency the scanner operates at. Scanners operating lower frequencies struggle with environmental conditions above 25 degrees and everyday infrastructure such as glass allowing the lower frequency to be swamped by too much signal. Lower frequency has more penetration but lesser resolution. However, deployment in uncontrolled environments is very hard.

A fundamental feature of ThruVis is that it operates at 250GHz (a quarter of 1THz). Scanners operating at this frequency have traditionally been considerably harder and more expensive to manufacture, but offer far superior performance than scanners operating at lower frequencies, as well as being much smaller physical size of device.

After 10 years of intensive reseacrh and development, ThruVis is now operationally proven to operate in warm humid conditions, detecting small objects through thick clothing, even when the object is only slightly colder than skin temperature. With its compact design, ThruVis is an ideal choice for an increasing range of activities.

SIMPLE TO USE

ThruVis is designed to be simple to use. Operators use a laptop to control the scanner and to show a colour CCTV image – to provide visual content to the operator – overlaid with the THz scan image. Scanning occurs in real time and objects can be detected even as a person is moving – although resolution is improved when individuals are stationary. A number of usability features are provided to assist operators, including software designed to assist operators detect concealed items.

In addition to real-time imagery and automatic alerts, the software offers configurable recording functions. Operators are able to capture and store recordings to export for evidential purposes, as well as playing back ‘snapshots’ of recently recorded scan to assess quickly imagery that might have been missed by an operator in real time. An SDK is available for ThruVis products to enable full integration with wider security system architectures and third-party systems. Multiple Thruvis cameras can be networked to one operating PC, reducing the need to employ many security staff and keeping operational costs to a minimum.

FLEXIBLY DEPLOYED

Unlike many other types of scanner, ThruVis units do not require fixed installation or a large deployment footprint, thus being a disruptive technology. They can be ceiling or floor mounted, but can also be easily transported and deployed as a temporary screening measure for high-profile public events, including sports crowds, concert-goers or well attended public places. The actual unit is no bigger than a tower PC, and it can be enclosed into public surroundings easily, such as into discreet single or double bollards, advertising units, planters, or similar objects, depending on requirements.

The units are compact, lightweight and can be powered by standard mains or batteries – with a TS4 unit drawing just 80W of power. The simplicity of using the ThruVis system presents flexible new options for organisations to incorporate people screening into their operations without major changes to infrastructure or inconvenience to the people being screened as ThruVis does not delay mass movement of people or infringe privacy.

OUR THRUVIS SCREENING SYSTEM

Compact people screening and software to detect person borne threats.

THRUVISION TS4C

The ThruVis TS4C is the world’s most advanced compact people screening system, with unparalleled imaging quality and the capability to detect concealed objects at 4-10m. It can be deployed in both fixed and mobile formats, in covert and overt installations, and as a standalone screening capability or integrated within a wider security architecture ideal for public space protection or mobile use.

The TS4C has a large depth of field that allows continuous scanning and the ability to scan a person whilst in they are in motion. This makes it suitable for use in areas of high throughput and allows greater flexibility in deployment.

SPACE FOR AIRPORT SECURITY

Terahertz at work

http://www.military-technologies.net/2016/02/15/space-for-airport-security/

15 February 2016

Everyone has experienced passing through security screening in airports. Not only is the process slow and intrusive, but you may also wonder whether it is reliable or just a waste of time.

Thanks to a space invention, this whole procedure is being simplified. Based on a special sensor developed for space and patented by ESA, the UK company Digital Barriers has developed their ThruVision system to spot items concealed under clothing.

The system is now operating in several airports and was used for routine checks at the Association of Southeast Asia Nations summit in 2014, with 18 heads of states including President Obama, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev. 

Terahertz imaging

In space astronomy, observing ‘terahertz’ frequencies – that’s 1000 GHz – could show us how galaxies formed in the early Universe, and how stars have formed throughout the history of the Universe.

In environmental monitoring, a terahertz camera can obtain data on ozone depletion. Specific frequencies can be selected to focus on exchanges between the troposphere and stratosphere, revealing information useful for studies on global climate change.

On Earth, airport security looks for potentially dangerous items through solid material like suitcases and clothing. Terahertz waves can pass easily through some materials, like walls and clothes, yet can be focused like light to create images.

ESA’s Peter de Maagt spotted the opportunity to develop a terahertz camera for a future satellite mission and do it rapidly under ESA’s StarTiger initiative. With the technology already available, a dedicated team hosted at Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in the UK turned the idea into a working camera in 6 months.

Peter’s idea is now part of ESA’s Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) Portfolio.

Peter de Maagt

Nuria Hernandez Alfageme, from ESA’s Technology Transfer Programme Office, says, “It is already being used by several companies in a variety of non-space applications. In total, we have over 120 inventions available for commercial uses by companies in Europe.”

“The UK Company Digital Barriers now uses our terahertz technology in their ThruVision system for body scanners installed in many airports,” explains Peter.

“In a quick scan, the camera can spot concealed weapons and other hidden objects on passengers. It increases airport security and speeds up passenger screening in the many airports where it is now installed.”

Following the initial development, several of the original Startiger team members started ThruVision Systems Ltd, which was supported under ESA’s business inCubation initiative at Harwell in the UK.

In 2012, the company was bought by Digital Barriers plc and its 2015 Annual Report shows almost £20 million in revenue from the ThruVision products and services, serving a market primarily in the UK, but also in Turkey, Japan, Hong Kong, US and the Philippines.

Terahertz inspection

“The same patent was also licensed to SubTeraNDT Limited, an ESA Business Incubator Centre Harwell alumnus,” adds Nuria.

This company used the terahertz technology to develop non-contact and non-ionising system for inspecting under insulation and coatings for corrosion or other abnormalities primarily in the oil and gas markets.

Could screening deter future train terror attacks?

http://www.securitynewsdesk.com/could-screening-deter-future-train-terror-attacks/

In the aftermath of the August 2015 incident in France, Tim Compston, features editor at SecurityNewsDesk, asks if there is anything that can be done to deter future attacks?

The ‘lone wolf’ attack on a high speed train travelling from Amsterdam to Paris in August 2015 – which was stopped in its tracks by the brave actions of those on board – underlines just how vulnerable rail passengers are whilst on the move. Worryingly, it appears that the suspect was able to join the service in Brussels without raising any suspicions and, allegedly, was carrying a concealed hand gun, assault rifle with 270 rounds of ammunition, a box-cutter and petrol.

So what can the authorities and rail operators do to respond to the heightened threat level? Well, for his part, the French interior minister, Bernard Cazeneuve – following discussions with European ministers – has already announced a series of measures, including more identity and baggage inspections and police patrols. Also under consideration is name-based ticketing on international trains.

ThruVision, Digital Barriers

Logistical challenges
On whether mass passenger screening, like that at airports, could be viable, Mike O’Neill, managing director, of UK-based Optimal Risk Management Limited, feels that the logistics involved simply make it a non-starter. This echoes the sentiments of Guillaume Pepy, president of SNCF, who pointed out that in France there are 20 times as many rail passengers as air passengers.

O’Neill goes on to say that more limited action may be possible: “You could have spot checks and even passenger profiling in terms of looking at behavior and the bags they are carrying.” He adds that the fact most weapons break-down to fairly small pieces makes life even more difficult. For O’Neill it is the work ‘behind-the-scenes’ by the security services to identify individuals ahead of time which is the game changer: “It is has to be intelligence-led.”

Stand-off screening
Turning to Mark Marriage, transport solutions specialist at Digital Barriers, he suggests that, for concealed object detection, compact ‘stand-off’ people screening could offer a solution: “We use a non-invasive screening method which you just walk past.” Marriage explains that it employs not only CCTV but also a terahertz camera to receive and interpret the natural terahertz energy emitted by individuals and the environment.

ThruVision, Digital Barriers

Real-time video
Another challenge for rail operators who have cameras on their trains, and staff being kitted out with body worn video, is how to transmit footage back in a consistent way to an external control room. Some security experts like Optimal Risk’s Mike O’Neill argue that as events unfold so quickly there is little that such video footage can add to how an incident plays out: “It is for evidential use, not really for preventative use,” says O’Neill.

In the view of Simon Jenkins, product manager for TransVu at AD Group, while it is theoretically possible to take footage from a fast moving train, in practice it is probably of fairly low quality and not necessarily in real-time because existing connections aren’t reliable enough and don’t provide sufficient bandwidth: “No one is taking video off moving trains at the moment,” concludes Jenkins.

Offering his thoughts on this subject, Mark Marriage at Digital Barriers believes that, despite the pitfalls highlighted, technology with its roots in military operations could make real-time streaming from trains a practical proposition. He explains that a compression algorithm, developed by Digital Barriers, allows the optimising of video to the available bandwidth so avoiding latency and break-up.

Adding analytics
Considering other innovations in the context of rail security, Dr Rustom Kanga, ceo at Omniscient, is an enthusiastic advocate of the intelligent use of video surveillance: “You can do face recognition of people of interest in a crowd.” Dr Kanga says that for railway stations it is feasible to recognise people on a suspect list at say 20 metres distance.

Added to this, Dr Kanga reckons that flagging-up an abandoned bag in a crowded scene is much easier now thanks to ‘non-motion detection’: “In a railway station where everything is moving it makes more sense to apply ‘non-motion detection’ which focuses on the things that have actually stopped moving.”

So to conclude, we are likely to witness an even greater emphasis on intelligence-led efforts, the extension of spot checks of individuals and their bags across Europe, and new and enhanced technologies – like stand-off screening – coming down the track.

Link to An Interesting Powerpoint- by THRUVISION Co-Founder Chris Mann on the life and death of THRUVISION

http://www.teknolojitransferi.gov.tr/TeknolojiTransferPlatformu/resources/temp/19FEDC20-5909-4EE5-8F70-89482D596636.pdf;jsessionid=ECE62F06E43504FC93C8588A442A70C3

The new Chinese security scanner appears to be use passive THz imaging

My Note: My read of the news today about the new Chinese scanner is that it appears to use passive THz scanning technology. I base this on the following quote in the news release:

Terahertz radiation is a kind of electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between those of infrared rays and microwaves, boasting a strong penetration force without harmful effects.

The human body naturally transmits terahertz waves, which can be received by the terahertz body scanner.

By contrasting the image projected on the scanner screen with the background image of the human body, security staff can determine if a person is hiding something in their clothes as the object would deflect or hinder the terahertz transmission path.

If in fact, this is the case, then it would be interesting to know how it differs from the product line offered by Digital Barriers, (which obtained this technology from ThruVision), and which is supplying the new stand-off THz detection system to the NYPD.

http://terahertztechnology.blogspot.com/2013/01/a-description-of-passive-terahertz.html

http://terahertztechnology.blogspot.com/2013/01/digital-barriers-is-reported-to-be_24.html

I had some readers wonder if this new Chinese product was the result of reverse engineering of the API T-5000 and perhaps this product will in fact incorporate pulsed scanning using, as well as passive scanning. As always I am writing various individual who may know more, and will share what I find out.

http://terahertztechnology.blogspot.com/2013/04/advanced-photonix-inc-announces-sale-of.html

Advanced Photonix® (NYSE MKT: API), the leading supplier of terahertz systems to industry, announced today that it has sold a T-Gauge® terahertz sensor to Shanghai Gaojing in Shanghai, China. The system, equipped with a high-speed line scanner, will be integrated into a new security platform being developed as part of a major national program for security instrumentation. 

Shanghai Gaojing Radiography Technology Co., a major supplier of baggage inspection systems, has purchased the latest in industrial terahertz systems, the T-Gauge® terahertz sensor from API. Terahertz has shown significant capability in detecting explosives, drugs, and other threats in packages or checked bags. The T-Gauge® sensor was chosen because of its robust performance, its high-speed data acquisition, and its ease of integration. 

A description of "passive" Terahertz scanning

My Note: Digital Barriers acquired ThruVision and it's passive THz technology. The following is the company's description of passive terahertz.

http://www.thruvision.com/Technology/TechnologyOverview.htm

ThruVision's technology is passive. Like CCTV cameras our products do not emit energy onto the people being screened. Some other body scanning technologies emit X-rays and other types of 'active' radiation during the screening process. Our products operate by receiving natural Terahertz energy from all people and objects.

Our safe people screening systems can be used to screen women during pregnancy. As our products are completely passive people can be screened an unlimited amount of times with absolutely no risk to their health.

Respectful technology

It is important to find the right balance between security and civil liberties. The TS4 is often referred to as non-invasive as it does not image intimate body details. This allows the respectful screening of all people with no requirement for same gender operators.

Stand-off detection

The TS4 incorporates an advanced approach to the focusing of the received Terahertz energy. This novel approach enables our customers to detect concealments across a range of stand-off distances of up to 10m. This enables our products to be used to screen people without requiring them to stop specifically to be screened.

Digital Barriers is reported to be the vendor of the NYPD THz scanners

My note: The Wall Steet Journal posted a release which indicates that London based Digital Barriers is the vendor of the terahertz system to the NYPD.

 http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323539804578260261579068182.html

I posted about Digital Barriers acquisition of ThruVision, and it's passive terahertz technology last March.

http://terahertztechnology.blogspot.com/2012/03/digital-barriers-acquires-thruvision.html

Digital Barriers acquires ThruVision Systems

http://www.stockmarketwire.com/article/4325675/Digital-Barriers-acquires-ThruVision-Systems.html
StockMarketWire.com - Digital Barriers has acquired the assets, intellectual property and customer contracts of ThruVision Systems.

ThruVision designs and manufactures standoff passive TeraHertz screening products that can detect objects under a person's clothes, such as weapons, explosives or smuggled contraband.

ThruVision's products incorporate proprietary passive sensing technology that detect concealed objects safely using natural energy.

ThruVision's products have been deployed around the world for a variety of screening applications including border security, law enforcement, defence and loss prevention.