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Applying technology to keep us safe
The Acoustic Inspection Device developed by researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory adds a fast and easy-to-use tool to the customs officers’ arsenal in the fight against terrorism, drug trafficking, and smuggling.
The
handheld device, roughly the size and shape of a cordless power drill and
tethered to a personal digital assistant, is linked to a data library that
can determine the contents of sealed, liquid-filled containers. It also can
examine bulk-solid commodities and detect foreign objects, contraband, or
hidden explosives. The device, which transmits ultrasonic pulses and detects
any return echoes, is positioned on the outside wall of a container. As sound
waves are transmitted, the return echoes bouncing off the other side of the
container are analyzed and compared with information in a data library, thereby
allowing the inspector to identify the material or liquid contents.
Mehl, Griffin and Bartek, a company located in Arlington, Va., has customized PNNL’s technology to develop the Product Acoustic Signature System (PASS) and an enhanced version, the Customs Hand Held Acoustic Inspection System (CHAIS) for the U. S. Customs Service.
PNNL is committed to advancing the frontiers of scientific knowledge and rapidly translating discoveries into innovative technologies. To learn more about PNNL technologies available for licensing, see http://availabletechnologies.pnl.gov/.
To learn more about PNNL's work with ultrasound, eddy currents and other characterization technologies, see the Process Inspection Monitoring & Control Technology Web site.
