Advanced Photonix wins terahertz contract to help Department of Homeland Security detect concealed threats

Posted by Courtney E. Howard

ANN ARBOR, Mich., 12 Nov. 2010. Advanced Photonix Inc.’s subsidiary, Picometrix LLC, won from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a $100,000, six-month Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract. Company engineers will demonstrate the feasibility of integrating a handheld, time-domain terahertz (TD-THz) inspection wand with other sensor technologies to create a multisensor-based approach for detection of concealed threats.

A key capability of the TD-THz inspection wand is the ability to detect concealed objects on the body of a person without the need for imaging and its associated privacy concerns. This feasibility study is the first step in combining various sensor technologies together into one device to give the DHS a viable solution to the very complex problem of threat detection.

This Phase I contract is synergistic with a $1.8 million contract to develop a TD-THz-based anomaly detector for the security market.

With successful completion of Phase I, a Phase II follow-on contract will be discussed to develop and demonstrate a prototype multisensor wand for threat detection based upon the company's existing T-Ray product platform. A successful Phase II would potentially lead to Phase III DHS system testing and deployment for threat detection.