Wearable Technology for First Responders Focus of New DHS Accelerator Topic
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate again this year is focusing on wearable technologies for its EMERGE Accelerator Program, which began as a pilot project in 2015 to tap into the network of business accelerators and incubators. Under the new Wearable Technology effort, S&T is seeking the development of state of the art wearable technologies on the commercial market that can be modified for first responders. The EMERGE Program works through price competitions, accelerator networks, and directly funding startups that match homeland security needs to bring innovative solutions to the homeland security community that otherwise would be unavailable. The S&T team is looking for early stage companies involved in wearable technologies. “Our world is becoming more connected and we need to take advantage of the emerging technology and get that technology to first responders who make our communities safer and more resilient,” says Robert Griffin, deputy under secretary for S&T. For the Wearable Technology effort, S&T will partner with the Center for Innovative Technology (CIT) in Northern Virginia, which is working with the accelerator TechNexus, a venture collaborative based in Chicago. The program is also supported by the Energy Department’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. S&T last year partnered with the CIT, which manages MACH37, a cyber security accelerator. For the Wearable Technology effort, S&T is seeking applicants through Sept. 2. Applicants can apply at cit.org/emerge.
NEC Corporation of America Launches SmartScan Multimodal Biometric Kiosk Solution
NEC Corporation’s U.S. division has launched SmartScan, a multimodal biometric capture solution for law enforcement and civil applications. The system features a Microsoft Windows 10 user interface. The company says that its livescan solution features a modern user interface with touch, pinch-and-zoom and swipe features common on all devices. The housing is height adjustable with larger foot pedals for improved fingerprint and palm print capture. NEC says the system also includes enhanced security measures to protect it from intrusion and malware attacks. “SmartScan delivers breakthrough ergonomics, intuitive software, a user friendly operating system and efficient multimodal biometric accurate image capture in any environment,” says Raffie Beroukhim, senior vice president, Biometric Solutions Division, NEC Corporation of America.
JENETRIC Begins Series Production of Fingerprint Device
After 18 months of development, Germany’s JENETRIC has begun series production of its LIVETOUCH Quattro, which the company says is the world’s smallest fingerprint ID-flat scanner. The company says the demand for the scanner is high and that the device is being evaluated by potential customers in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. JENETRIC has already delivered 100 unites to U.S.-based SureID, which is the world’s largest provider of PIV-I credentials. “With LIVETOUCH Quattro we want to set new standards in identifying people by their fingerprints,” says Roberto Wolfer, one of the founders and CEOs of the company. “Nevertheless, we were surprised by the large number of inquiries after we launched the product last September.”
3M Introduces New Plate Alert Software
3M Corp. [MMM] has introduced 3M Plate Alert Analytical ALPR Software, a next-generation automatic license plate reader (ALPR) software that uses data fusion analytics and proactive alerts to law enforcement agencies. 3M says its new software goes beyond notifications of plate matches against a watch list to include pattern management alerts, providing relevant information and actionable insights in near real-time. Notifications are sent when the system detects activity matching a pre-defined pattern that may suggest illicit activity. The software can compile ALPR data from various sources such as 911 calls, pawn data, police reports, motor vehicle data and more. “Plate Alert uncovers relevant connections and provide a clear view of how seemingly unrelated people, places, things and events are connected, and how they impact each other,” Seth Stores, global business manager at 3M, says.
Route1 Launches MobiENCRYPT Smart Card Full Disk Encryption Technology
Route1 Inc. has introduced MobiENCRYPT, a smart card based technology that enables remote and local full disk encryption access that exceeds most government and military privacy and security standards. MobiENCRYPT integrates with government issued CAC and PIV identity card technology, providing fast and seamless pre-boot authentication that allows government employees to access their workspaces quickly without compromising on security. Once encrypted, government furnished equipment remains encrypted after local and remote logins by authorized personnel.