SBIR-STTR Award

Each year over sixteen million containers arrive in our country by truck and in container ships. Current inspection regimes rely on manual inspection procedures and on x-raying, on gamma ray inspection technology, and on use of radiation detectors on containers of interest. Rarely can more than a small percentage of the total number of containers in a container ship be adequately inspected, and any uninspected container can pose significant risk to national security. Avaak Inc. proposes to develop a system based on miniature and low cost sensor-radio platforms (capsules), that includes on board bio-chem and explosive sensors and can wirelessly relay alarm signals from within shipping containers, to a hand held hub (PDA) or PC. The concept for the proposed system is derived from a similar system that Avaak is developing for the US Navy, under an SBIR award, for use in reconnaissance, asymmetric warfare and urban combat

Each year, more than sixteen million shipping containers arrive in the US via truck, rail, or container ships. Current inspection regimes rely on cumbersome and expensive procedures such as manual inspection and/or x-ray, gamma ray, and radiation detection technology to determine the risk posed by each container. Rarely can more than a small percentage of the total number of containers arriving at US ports of entry, be adequately inspected. However, any un-inspected container can pose a significant risk to national security. Therefore, the end purpose of this project and the justification for funding is to design and prove the technical viability of a network of miniature distributed wireless chemical and explosive sensors capable of detecting threat agents in shipping containers and vulnerable and difficult to secure locations. Avaak’s proposed end system (Phase III) consists of autonomous, low cost, and integrated miniature color video sensors (platforms) equipped with highly sensitive porous silicon sensors, wireless communications capabilities, and software that processes and communicates alarm conditions to a remote hub or control center.

Keywords:
Wireless Sensor Networks, Imaging, Chemical And Explosive Sensors, Porous Silicon, Container Security, Pattern Recognition, Image Processing