The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) awarded $52.3 million in recent contracts for various new security equipment, most of which is headed to airport security checkpoints, including awards to OSI Systems [OSIS] and Smiths Detection for their Advanced Technology (AT) X-Ray machines that screen carry-on bags for explosives and weapons.
TSA also has begun a pilot-test of L-3 Communication’s [LLL] ProVision active millimeter wave whole body imaging system walk-through portal for secondary screening of passengers at security checkpoints. The pilot is taking place at Phoenix’ Sky Harbor Airport in Arizona. TSA is purchasing eight of the ProVision machines for $1.7 million for additional pilot testing, including deployments at JFK International Airport in New York and LAX International Airport in Los Angeles.
ProVision is being tested alongside American Science & Engineering Corp.’s [ASEI] backscatter X-Ray-based SmartCheck whole body imaging system, which began its pilot testing at Sky Harbor in February. TSA says that so far 79 percent of the passengers at Sky Harbor who have been selected for secondary screening have opted for the backscatter system over pat-down searches.
The recent contracts signal some of the more significant changes TSA has made in the last two years to improve security at the checkpoints on a wide scale. The agency has been doing a number of pilot tests of different technologies–and had even begun to deploy walk-through explosive trace detection portals for secondary screening before halting that effort due to maintenance troubles with the machines–but hadn’t deployed these systems to all airports. TSA has also been training some of its officers and inspectors in behavior recognition techniques to further layer security by being able to detect suspicious persons.
Among the new awards, Smiths Detection received $21 million to supply 125 of its HI-SCAN 6040aTiX X-Ray AT machines and OSI’s Rapiscan division received $9.3 million to supply 125 of its 620DV X-Ray AT machines to begin replacing conventional X-Ray systems at some checkpoints. Left out of the initial tranche of contracts for X-Ray AT is L-3, which along with Rapiscan and Smiths had delivered machines for pilot testing at four airports. The pilot tests are ongoing, a TSA spokeswoman says.
TSA currently has indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contracts with all three X-Ray AT vendors. L-3’s award is worth up to $89.8 million, Rapiscan’s $98 million, and Smiths’ $184 million.
The X-Ray AT machines have limited automatic alerting capabilities for the potential presence of explosives, which is an advance over conventional X-Ray machines, which rely solely on operator interpretation of images to discover potential threats in a person’s carry-on parcels. However, it’s not immediately clear whether any of the automatic explosive detection capabilities will be available initially in the X-Ray AT machines that are deployed first.
The aTiX machines are equipped with faster computers, more memory and advanced algorithms, allowing for spiral improvements in the future, Mark Laustra, vice president and general manager for Smith’s Homeland Security business, tells TR2. “We are working with TSA and other governments on what it is capable of detecting,” he says. “We have to understand the threats and build algorithms around the threats. And there are new threats being introduced all the time.”
Last month Smiths was selected by BAA, the British airport company, for a 10-year deal to replace all existing X-Ray screening equipment at the checkpoints with the new aTiX machines. The deal is potentially worth over $41 million.
In addition to providing some automatic alerting capabilities for the potential presence of explosives, both the Rapiscan and Smiths AT machines offer two views of a parcel for a security screener versus the single view given by today’s X-Ray machines. The Smiths machine actually has four generators and four detectors, two on the bottom and two on the side, although only two view are displayed for the operator.
TSA also awarded contracts to Analogic [ALOG], $7.6 million, and Reveal Imaging Technologies, $5.6 million, for their automated-Explosive Detection Systems (EDS) that can be used to screen carry-on bags at checkpoints. The Auto-EDS machines are smaller than those deployed to screen checked bags but still rely on the same technology, computed tomography.
The contracts are important for both firms because earlier this year TSA’s interest in Auto-EDS at checkpoints began to wane as the agency decided in favor of the X-Ray AT machines. The Auto-EDS machines have been in pilot testing but have been troubled by higher than desired false alarm rates. Still, the machines provide three-dimensional images that can be rotated on three axes, giving screeners a clearer view of the contents of a bag. Analogic’s ID/IQ contract is worth up to $77.6 million and Reveal’s $80.4 million.
Initially TSA is buying 12 of Analogic’s COBRA units and eight of Reveals Fusion systems. TSA hasn’t determined which airports will receive the X-Ray AT machines and which will receive the Auto-EDS.
One change TSA isn’t making at the checkpoints for now is allowing the use of shoe scanning technology at Registered Traveler [RT] lanes. Last week TSA discontinued the use of the General Electric [GE] developed scanners at RT lanes operated under Verified Identity Pass’ Clear brand at Orlando International Airport in Florida.
TSA says the shoe scanners, which are part of GE’s Secure RT (SRT) kiosks, don’t meet the minimum standards to ensure detection of explosives. The SRT kiosks have been deployed to other airports were the Clear RT service is operating but the shoe scanning technology has never been turned on at these. The kiosks are also used to verify the identity of an RT member through the use of biometrics, a function that will continue.
It’s hard to say how much of a setback TSA’s announcement is to the RT program. TSA says it remains ready to work with GE on getting the shoe scanning technology up to standards. GE, meanwhile, says it will continue to work with TSA to fill any performance gaps that remain in the technology. And even though the shoe scanning technology had been operational at just one airport, Clear has over 68,000 members at 10 airports.
Verified Identity says it is sticking with GE in hopes that at some point the shoe scanning technology will be able to offer Clear members the benefit of being able to leave their shoes on at security checkpoints if the technology doesn’t alarm to a potential threat.
Two other service providers, FLO Corp., which is acquiring the rtGO RT solution from Unisys [UIS], and Vigilant Solutions, with its Preferred Traveler service, operate RT services at airports in Reno, Nev., and Jacksonville, Fla., respectively. The RT services are interoperable at all participating services, allowing, for example, Clear members to use the RT lanes in Reno and Jacksonville.
Despite TSA’s continued unwillingness to offer security benefits to RT members, RT service providers continue to prepare for additional airports joining the program. Moreover, the service providers are emphasizing more than just security benefits to generate members. Combined with the promise of a more predictable, and expeditious wait time at security checkpoints, the providers are trying to draw customers through a variety of perks such as better airport parking, improved checkpoint service, discounted shopping, and other consumer oriented features.
New Kiosk from GE
While GE struggles to get its SRT kiosk certified for use in the U.S., the company for the first time demonstrated the system overseas in Germany at the 2007 Inter Airport conference last week. GE believes that the SRT, combined with an identity kiosk it is developing, will offer airport security officials everywhere the potential to leverage advanced technologies to screen passengers.
The new identity kiosk was recently announced by GE as part of an expanded vision for its airport security checkpoint of the future, which is focused on integrating new and existing technologies to improve the screening of passengers and their carry-on bags. GE says it is developing the kiosk for the front end of the security line.
The identity kiosks would reduce the number of TSA greeters at the front of the security line who review passengers’ boarding passes and government issued photo identification documents to verify identities and validate permission to continue into the security checkpoint.
GE Security’s new kiosk would include a digital camera that takes a snapshot of an individual, and reader technology that verifies the authenticity of government issued identity documents such as a driver’s license or passport. Facial recognition technology being developed by GE’s Global Research Center would be used to verify a match between the snapshot taken of a particular person and that individual’s photo on the identity card.
The addition of a document validation system is something that is missing from the current process at the checkpoint, Yotam Margalit, marketing manager for aviation products at GE Security, tells TR2.
The document reading technology is being supplied by MITAM, an Israeli-based firm.
In addition to the identification capabilities featured in the new kiosk, GE will incorporate threat detection just as it does in the SRT kiosk. The kiosk will have an Itemiser FX module that takes a trace sample from a person’s fingertip and analyzes it for the presence of explosives, Margalit says. The kiosk will also feature the shoe scanning technology that TSA says isn’t ready for deployment in the U.S.
One more capability that will be added to the identity kiosk is a database search against terror lists and passenger flight plans, Margalit says. The company will work with TSA, the airlines and airports for this, he adds.
A prototype of the identity kiosk is expected to be ready next March.
Partial funding for the kiosk development is coming from the Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation, established by the U.S. and Israel in 1977 to fund joint U.S. and Israeli teams in the development and commercialization of non-defense technology products.
In other awards announced by TSA, the agency is purchasing 200 Fido PaxPoint units from ICx Technologies for $3.4 million and 23 SABRE units from Smiths for $650,000. Fido will be used to screen liquids for explosives and SABRE will be used to provide mobile explosive trace and vapor detection capabilities. Both devices are handheld. TSA has exercised all current options for Fido and SABRE.
TSA is also acquiring 12 SPO-7 passive millimeter wave cameras from Britain’s QinetiQ for use in mass transit environments. A somewhat larger system supplied by QinetiQ, the SPO-20, was pilot tested earlier this year in several locations, including two ferry systems and a train station. TSA plans further laboratory testing and additional pilots.
A TSA spokeswoman says one of the goals of this program is “maturation of the system into a low rate initial production configuration.”
Finally, TSA awarded Spectrum San Diego $1.7 million for 37 CastScope cast and prosthetics screening devices. TSA has an ID/IQ contract in place with Spectrum San Diego for up to 500 units valued at $37.2 million.