DHS CWMD Office Issues Pre-Solicitation to Improve Nuclear Sensing of Thallium Bromide
The Department of Homeland Security Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office has issued a pre-solicitation to increase the technology readiness level of thallium bromide as a detection material for radioisotope identification devices (RIIDs). The CWMD Office is planning a next-generation RIID program in fiscal year 2024 and hopes to leverage the thallium bromide technology, which the office says has the potential to significantly increase the detection and identification performance of RIIDs at a significantly reduced cost. The technology improvement effort will be done under the THOR program, which stands for Thallium Bromide Human Portable Radiation Detection Systems Objective Resolution. Notice ID: RWRD-21-0026. Contact: Jonathan Igwebueze, [email protected]
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Army Posts Biometric Opportunities for Small Businesses
The Army Rapid Capabilities and Critical Technologies Office has issued three Broad Agency Announcements under its Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program related to biometrics. The Biometric Data Cleansing (Notice ID: W50RAJ-20-S-0001_SBIR_BAA_A214-019) is aimed at resolving data issues in the current DoD Automated Biometric Identification System database through the development of a machine learning software application to identify errors and improve data quality, increasing the speed and accuracy of responses to match requests. The BAA notice says that much of the biometric submissions put into ABIS is from old collection systems that do not limit inputs that are incorrect or limit in any meaningful way based on image capture quality. Therefore, the database includes a large number of biometric records with errors, missing data, or low-quality images, taking up valuable computer resources and resulting in a higher number of “yellow” matches that require a human examiner to rectify. Initial awards will be worth up to $259,613. The second effort is for a Recognition Biometric Camera System (Notice ID: W50RAJ-20-S-0001_SBIR_BAA_A214-018) to be integrated with the pre-existing Automated Installation Entry system for deployment at Army installation access control points. The camera system can see through the windshield of approaching vehicles in various weather conditions during the day and nighttime and will also be sued to report security alerts. The effort would use existing technology to develop a facial recognition system that can detect passengers in a moving vehicle and compare the captured image of the drive to a photo gallery of pre-approved users. The results would be displayed to the guard with a photo of the driver indicating an access grated or denied response in time to allow uninterrupted vehicle flow for approved cars. The final BAA is for the Pandemic Entry and Automated Control Environment, or PEACE (Notice ID: W50RAJ-20-S-0001_SBIR_BAA_A214-017), and would take advantage of metadata already stored in DoD Common Access Card identity credentials and related databases to validate in real-time that a person is permitted to enter a base or access a facility. The PEACE effort will leverage a biometric and other data such as a password so that entry operations can be conducted safely. Responses are due by May 18.
CBP Issues RFI for Transmission of Airline Passenger Data
Customs and Border Protection has issued a Request for Information for services to electronically received names and related information of passengers who are arriving to and departing from the U.S. on passenger planes. The agency also seeks manifests of cargo being transported to the U.S. The vendor must have established connectivity with the airline community and must be able to test and certify with the air carriers, the vendor, CBP and the Transportation Security Administration as required. The passenger and manifest information help CBP screen people and cargo entering, exiting and overlying the U.S. and its territories. Respond by April 19. Contact: Cynthia Young, [email protected].