US Spies Want A Laser Gun Bomb Detector

    
 

The US Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity wants to develop a hand-held, laser-based remote sensor that could detect and identify chemical weapons, explosives, narcotics and potentially even biological agents – all from up to 100 feet away.

If the device can be produced and later miniaturized, it may end up resembling a gun or grocery store scanner. 

The intelligence community’s research arm has awarded funding through the US Air Force to five companies, LGS Innovations, Physical Sciences, Photonics Inc., Block Engineering Inc. and Leidos Inc., through its Standoff Illuminator for Measuring Absorbance and Reflectance Infrared Light Signatures program.

The creative acronym, SILMARILS, comes from “Lord of the Rings” magical lore. IARPA’s goals for the project are anything but fictional.

The current technology for detecting narcotics, explosives and other dangerous chemicals, currently requires physical contact between humans and X-ray-based machinery. This is similar to those stationed within major airports that scan suitcases and luggage.

In other cases, a human must swab samples of a substance and run them through a similar machine, which is time and labor consuming and risky.

IARPA aims to lower that risk and potentially speed up the detection of dangerous chemicals.

“This machine would use infrared lasers to measure the signature of chemical agents and different molecules so that it’s much safer, practical way of interrogating a surface, like the bottom of someone’s shoe, footprints and those kinds of things,” said Kevin Kelly, chief executive officer of LGS Innovations, which could earn as much as $11 million over four years through SILMARILS.

Key goals for SILMARILS indicate the device must produce a steerable “eye-safe, visually unobservable illumination beam,” and must be of “human-portable size,” while drawing power at low enough levels to be battery operated.

If the device can be produced and later miniaturized, it may end up resembling a gun or grocery-store scanner, Kelly told Nextgov, and its uses might provide law enforcement major ammunition against crime.

Real-time identification of chemical substances is also a program goal, although today’s definition of real-time is anything less than a minute, Kelly said.

Should any of the competing companies get result in reducing time to mere seconds, the notion of real-time would allow for even more potential uses, such as a network-connected device that could compare chemical signatures identified with those in a database.

The device could have the potential to be used in drive-by vehicle systems with obvious potential users including law enforcement, national security personnel, airport security officials and others.

Kelly said LGS has also had some success using lasers to detect pathogens, and a device that can identify biological agents as well as chemical and explosive substances might open doors to new markets.
DefenseOne: http://bit.ly/1NtnkCd

« Insurers Are Getting Smarter About Cyber Insurance
E-stonia: Antithesis of Russia »

CyberSecurity Jobsite
Perimeter 81

Directory of Suppliers

MIRACL

MIRACL

MIRACL provides the world’s only single step Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) which can replace passwords on 100% of mobiles, desktops or even Smart TVs.

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Cyber Security Supplier Directory

Our Supplier Directory lists 6,000+ specialist cyber security service providers in 128 countries worldwide. IS YOUR ORGANISATION LISTED?

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout

DigitalStakeout enables cyber security professionals to reduce cyber risk to their organization with proactive security solutions, providing immediate improvement in security posture and ROI.

Clayden Law

Clayden Law

Clayden Law advise global businesses that buy and sell technology products and services. We are experts in information technology, data privacy and cybersecurity law.

FT Cyber Resilience Summit: Europe

FT Cyber Resilience Summit: Europe

27 November 2024 | In-Person & Digital | 22 Bishopsgate, London. Business leaders, Innovators & Experts address evolving cybersecurity risks.

Direct Recruiters Inc

Direct Recruiters Inc

Direct Recruiters is a relationship-focused search firm that assists IT Security and Cybersecurity companies with recruiting high-impact talent.

MailXaminer

MailXaminer

MailXaminer is an advance and powerful email investigation platform that scans digital data, performs analysis, reports on findings and preserves them in a court validated format.

FraudHunt

FraudHunt

FraudHunt protects your website from account fraud, ad fraud, fraud clicks, and malicious bots.

Deceptive Bytes

Deceptive Bytes

Deceptive Bytes provides an Active Endpoint Deception platform that dynamically responds to attacks as they evolve and changes their outcome.

Wolf Hill Group

Wolf Hill Group

Wolf Hill Group, a Slone Partners company, is a national recruitment firm focused on Cybersecurity.

e360

e360

e360 (formerly Entisys360) is an award-winning IT consultancy specializing in advanced IT infrastructure, virtualization, security, automation and cloud first solutions.

StartupXseed Ventures

StartupXseed Ventures

StartupXseed Ventures is a smart capital provider for Deep Tech, B2B, Early Stage Startups. We support, NextGen Tech Entrepreneurs, who have potential to deliver the outsized growth.

ESC - Enterprise Security Center

ESC - Enterprise Security Center

ESC is a system house specializing exclusively in IT security - Security Implementation & Optimization, Operations, Managed Security Services.

TechBase

TechBase

TechBase is an innovation and start-up center offering technology-oriented start-ups optimal conditions for successful business development.

North West Cyber Resilience Centre (NWCRC)

North West Cyber Resilience Centre (NWCRC)

The North West Cyber Resilience Centre is a trusted, not-for-profit venture between Greater Manchester Police and Manchester Digital.

N-able

N-able

N-Able deliver simple and sophisticated monitoring, security, and business solutions that empower you to solve your toughest IT challenges.

Menaya

Menaya

Menaya provide Ethical Hackers for leading companies while also providing cyber security solutions to help major infrastructures protect against cyber crime.

Pangu Laboratory

Pangu Laboratory

Beijing Qi an Pangu Laboratory Technology Co., Ltd. was established on the basis of Pangu laboratory, a well-known cyber security team.

Judy Security

Judy Security

Judy provides smart, simple, effective, all-in-one cybersecurity for SMBs. Get the 24/7 protection and support you deserve, at a price you can afford.

HaystackID

HaystackID

HaystackID provides industry-leading computer forensics, eDiscovery, and attorney document review experts to help with complex, data-intensive investigations and litigation.

Odaseva

Odaseva

Odaseva delivers the strongest data security solution for enterprises running on Salesforce, safeguarding confidentiality and integrity of critical business information.