By Calvin Biesecker

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) yesterday began a demonstration project using two different millimeter wave imaging systems to scan passengers for explosives at a busy commuter rail station in New Jersey.

The two week pilot project is the second this year at the Exchange Place Station, which serves the New York and New Jersey Port Authority's PATH heavy rail trains that link Manhattan with neighboring New Jersey urban communities. The earlier pilot used off-the-shelf equipment such as X-Ray machines and metal detectors modified for the rail transportation environment to screen bags and passengers both deliberately and randomly.

The demonstration will eventually look at several other systems and technologies, including another millimeter wave system as well as infrared and terahertz-based systems, over the next two weeks.

Initially, DHS is using imaging systems supplied by Brijot Imaging Systems and L-3 Communications [LLL].

L-3 is supplying its non-ionizing, active millimeter wave imaging technology, called ProVision, which is a walk-through like portal. Once inside the portal, a person stands still with their arms raised above their head while a scanner rotates around them. The system can detect concealed explosives or other contraband in as little as two seconds. ProVision has a throughput of up to 600 people an hour.

At Exchange Place Station peak rush hour sees over 4,000 passengers per hour compared to about 400 during slower times, all through two entrances.

ProVision was acquired through L-3's acquisition of SafeView in March (Defense Daily, March 22). The system is used at some international airports, including Mexico City and Amsterdam's Schiphol. The system has also been used by the U.S. military in Iraq.

For Brijot Imaging, which introduced the passive BIS-WDS last year, the project is the first public use of the sensor system in an operational environment, a significant milestone in the company's efforts to penetrate the U.S. government market.

"This is what the entire Brijot team has worked for: a system where rail passengers can be screened for suicide bombs with minimal change to transit entry lanes or interruption of passenger flow," Brian Andrew, Brijot's CEO, said in a statement. "It operates just like a video camera does, without any effect on the person or persons standing in its view and without imaging any body details."

The BIS-WDS, which was recently upgraded with new software to be able to handle higher throughputs when focused on larger objects, can observe up to 720 people per hour in a two camera installation at a single turnstile. For the PATH demonstration, Brijot is supplying two cameras, which allow for simultaneous front and back views of people transiting through turnstiles.

In January of this year, Florida-based Brijot began production of its system and has delivered units internationally to distributors. The company hasn't disclosed its customers but has said its backlog is at least $100 million.

In the demo, passengers are being randomly screened during rush hour while the non-rush hour goal is 100 percent screening.

Other companies whose systems will be used later in the demonstration include Sago Systems, and Britain's ThruVision, Ltd.

Sago, a subsidiary of Trex Enterprises Corp., has developed the ST-150, a passive millimeter wave imaging device. Sago was launched last fall with equity financing from Digital Power Capital, LLC, which also provides the capital for ICx Technologies, another homeland security company.

ThruVision is supplying a terahertz-based imaging system.

Infrared technology will also be used in the trial. DHS plans to have the analysis and results of the demonstration prepared for Congress this fall.