DHS S&T Selects 10 Startups Under Wearable Technology Program
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology (S&T) Directorate has selected 10 startup companies to be part of its EMERGE 2016 Wearable Technology program, which is designed to bring startups, accelerators, and other strategic partners together in a common research and development effort. The program is aimed at enabling first responders to communicate seamlessly with fellow responders, to survey a scene in advance, and to track their health status as they put themselves in harm’s way. The startups are: Augmate in New York which developed a provisioning and management platform for wearable devices that helps IT departments track users and their devices, collect sensor data, and communicate with workers; CommandWear System, Vancouver, developed a software platform that integrates location and biometrics data from devices to provide personnel tracking, two-way text communication and video sharing to facilitate planning and mission execution; HAAS Alert in Chicago has a mobile vehicle-to-vehicle communication platform that uses acoustic sensors to pick up environmental and situational noise, and location data to connect people, vehicles and things in cities, streamlining the disaster and emergency notification process to keep communities safe; Human System Integration in Boston developed an integrated system that includes remote physiological monitoring; Lumenus in Los Angeles created smart clothing that uses LED lighting and connectivity to improve visibility of consumers and industrial workers; LuminAID of Chicago created durable, low cost, and low profile inflatable solar lamps that can be stored efficiently and easily deployed; Pear Sports in L.A. has a coaching and training application that uses biometric signals like heart rate, VO2 max, location, and environmental data to build training programs that improve the long-term health of users; Six15 Technologies of Henrietta, N.Y., produced rugged wearable devices for military and industrial use that stream video and display data using augmented reality overlays for better situational awareness; Vault RMS of San Diego created a software platform that leverages biometric and situational data from wearable devices and other inputs to build a long-term health profile of workers exposed to health-compromising environments, driving improvements in health, safety and overall worker productivity; and Visual Semantics of Austin, Texas, created software that integrates with cloud-enabled wearable cameras and heads up displays to provide real-time facial recognition and alerts to help first responders more intelligently assess and react to situations in the field. Under the program the participating startup will have access to first responder feedback industry partners and investors, and business development educational resources from mentors around the business world. The access and resources available will assist in early market validation efforts, test and evaluation opportunities, and the establishment of a path to introduce their technologies to a variety of markets, including government sector partners.
Unisys Upgrades Law Enforcement Information Management System
Unisys [UIS] this week is introducing Unisys Digital Investigator, an upgrade of its Unisys Law Enforcement Application Framework, which is an information management system to enable law enforcement agencies to seamlessly share critical investigative intelligence across applications and agency boundaries. Unisys Digital Investigator includes a public portal to enable citizens to provide information to law enforcement and public safety agencies and track requests from smartphones and other devices. Unisys says it also integrates with social media analytics to assist in compiling digital evidence. Unisys Digital Investigator is part of the company’s Safe Cities portfolio. “The Unisys Safe Cities initiative was created to give justice and public safety organizations the solutions they need to better use data from sources like mobile devices and the Internet to create a safe environment for the public,” says Mark Forman, global head of Public Sector at Unisys. “Digital Investigator represents a critical component of this initiative. “It gives police departments a tool set that improves productivity through the ability to handle numerous forms of data across multiple lines of inquiry while linking different pieces of related information.”
AOS, Crossmatch Demonstrate Fingerprint Matching with on On-The-Go, Livescan Devices
TAMPA, Fla.—Advanced Optical Systems, Inc. (AOS) last month demonstrated capture and matching capabilities of its ANDI On The Go contactless fingerprint system with Crossmatch’s Guardian livescan fingerprint capture device at AFCEA’s annual Global Identity Summit. At the AOS display, individuals volunteered to have their fingerprints captured by the Crossmatch livescan device and then stored in a laptop computer. That person would then pass through a simulated gate structure and wave their hand—palm facing forward and perpendicular to the floor—through the ANDI system for a quick check against the prints stored on the laptop that were enrolled with the Guardian device. The point of the demonstration was to show that the ANDI On The Go system—which captures 2D image data differently than the way the Guardian system captures 2D images—could be used in gate and other high throughput applications with biometric databases that store 2D images of fingerprints captured by livescan devices. Industry still has to solve the issue of matching contact and contactless biometric records but an industry official says that AOS’s way of capturing fingerprints “gets us a lot closer to solving that problem.”
Caribbean Airport Installs Checkpoint eGates by Vision-Box
Princess Juliana International Airport in Sint Maarten has completed the first stage of an automation program with self-service security checkpoint eGates by Vision-Box for passengers entering the departure area. The milestone includes six eGates, allowing passengers to scan their bar coded boarding pass prior to entering the departure hall. The eGates validate the authenticity of the boarding pass and confirm the passenger’s eligibility to enter the restricted area on the day of travel. Eventually the airport, working with Vision-Box, plans a modernized passenger experience across the whole airport covering both arrivals and departures. Soon the latest generation of Automated Border Control eGates will be ready for exit immigration procedures. Passengers will be able to automatically authenticate their passport and have a photo taken, which will be matched to the one stored on the passport’s chip. If successful, the passenger will proceed through airport security screening. Passengers arriving at the island will be able to use self-service Immigration Control kiosks supplied by partner YVR, integrated into the Vision-Box border management suite.