Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SilentBorder (Cosmic Ray Tomograph for Identification of Hazardous and Illegal Goods hidden in Trucks and Sea Containers)
Período documentado: 2022-05-01 hasta 2023-10-31
Illegal goods are trafficked into Europe by criminal organisations using a range of methods and tools which are very diverse and adaptable to specific border conditions. In 2018, EU customs seized 472 tonnes of drugs, 4.1 billion illegal cigarettes, 2600 firearms, over 3.6 million pieces of ammunition and 476,00 pieces of explosives. Yet it is estimated that only 5-10% of illegal goods are even detected with conventional x-ray scanning technologies[1].
Today, the most widely used technology for scanning vehicles is gamma-ray and x-ray radiography. Both have some technological shortcomings. The scanned images are incomplete in terms of detecting the materials and passing through of goods depends on the operator’s subjective opinion. The clearance time is long and detection labour intensive. The equipment is costly and inconvenient for end-users because of the safety regulations and requirements that need to be followed. The technologies usually also use artificial radiation which is harmful to humans and animals.
The main objective of SilentBorder is to develop and validate a new cutting-edge technology cosmic-ray tomography (CRT) scanner for border guard, customs, and law enforcement authorities (LEAs). The CRT scanner will be safe and easier to deploy and relocate because it is based on natural cosmic rays and does not produce harmful radiation. Contrary to conventional x-ray or gamma-based imaging techniques, the SilentBorder scanner solution will distinguish between different materials and localise them inside the cargo or vehicle by providing visualised 3D images. It will be able to differentiate between what is actually declared and any illicit items in the container. The technology uses machine learning algorithms which allow for automated and remote management with less human interaction, meaning there is also less risk of corruption among border workers. We aim to offer significantly faster clearance times compared to industry standard x-ray systems and also have low maintenance costs for the final product.
[1]Test conducted at the US airports: abcnews.go.com/US/exclusive-undercover-dhs-tests-find-widespread-security-failures/story?id=31434881
Today, the most widely used technology for scanning vehicles is gamma-ray and x-ray radiography. Both have some technological shortcomings. The scanned images are incomplete in terms of detecting the materials and passing through of goods depends on the operator’s subjective opinion. The clearance time is long and detection labour intensive. The equipment is costly and inconvenient for end-users because of the safety regulations and requirements that need to be followed. The technologies usually also use artificial radiation which is harmful to humans and animals.
The main objective of SilentBorder is to develop and validate a new cutting-edge technology cosmic-ray tomography (CRT) scanner for border guard, customs, and law enforcement authorities (LEAs). The CRT scanner will be safe and easier to deploy and relocate because it is based on natural cosmic rays and does not produce harmful radiation. Contrary to conventional x-ray or gamma-based imaging techniques, the SilentBorder scanner solution will distinguish between different materials and localise them inside the cargo or vehicle by providing visualised 3D images. It will be able to differentiate between what is actually declared and any illicit items in the container. The technology uses machine learning algorithms which allow for automated and remote management with less human interaction, meaning there is also less risk of corruption among border workers. We aim to offer significantly faster clearance times compared to industry standard x-ray systems and also have low maintenance costs for the final product.
[1]Test conducted at the US airports: abcnews.go.com/US/exclusive-undercover-dhs-tests-find-widespread-security-failures/story?id=31434881
The second period of the project has given good scientific and technological progress with convincing outcome of all the research activities.
In the first work package, the focus was on defining technological specifications and the design of the hodoscope. The mehcanical design and dimensions of a module hodoscope have been determined and tested. The production technology has been developed and QA techniques in place.
In the second work package, the requirements for DAQ systems were defined. DAQ design for the protoype has been developed, testing and verification done. Design for the integration of detection special nuclear materials has been developed. Development of a conceptual, cost-efficient design of DAQ system for commercial systems is ongoing.
In the third work package, different programs for modelling cosmic particle sources were identified, analysed, and compared to each other. A simulation framework of full-scale tomography system for the sea container with a cargo was also developed using the Geant4 code. Reconstruction algorithms were tested and compared for different muon energies and detector spatial resolutions. Low and high muon momentums were compared. The parameters for optimisations have been discussed and agreed. Simulations have been started to address questions on the optimum values of such parameters. Development of tools for an optimization of future commercial tomography system has started.
The fourth work package is to develop a tomographic reconstruction and material classification method based on multi-parameter reconstruction implemented by machine learning including utilization and sharing prior data central image store of images. Validation of secondary particles as a complimentary information source for reconstruction under simulated conditions has been done. First bulk of simulated data has been reviewed and inspected with first visualizations of data using the developed code for reconstructing of simulated objects in cargo containers. Pipeline for large scale machine learning dataset generation produced.
Finally, in the second period huge amount of successful work has been performed. Given the good progress that was made, there is certainly the potential that the work carried out will contribute to the expected impacts.
In the first work package, the focus was on defining technological specifications and the design of the hodoscope. The mehcanical design and dimensions of a module hodoscope have been determined and tested. The production technology has been developed and QA techniques in place.
In the second work package, the requirements for DAQ systems were defined. DAQ design for the protoype has been developed, testing and verification done. Design for the integration of detection special nuclear materials has been developed. Development of a conceptual, cost-efficient design of DAQ system for commercial systems is ongoing.
In the third work package, different programs for modelling cosmic particle sources were identified, analysed, and compared to each other. A simulation framework of full-scale tomography system for the sea container with a cargo was also developed using the Geant4 code. Reconstruction algorithms were tested and compared for different muon energies and detector spatial resolutions. Low and high muon momentums were compared. The parameters for optimisations have been discussed and agreed. Simulations have been started to address questions on the optimum values of such parameters. Development of tools for an optimization of future commercial tomography system has started.
The fourth work package is to develop a tomographic reconstruction and material classification method based on multi-parameter reconstruction implemented by machine learning including utilization and sharing prior data central image store of images. Validation of secondary particles as a complimentary information source for reconstruction under simulated conditions has been done. First bulk of simulated data has been reviewed and inspected with first visualizations of data using the developed code for reconstructing of simulated objects in cargo containers. Pipeline for large scale machine learning dataset generation produced.
Finally, in the second period huge amount of successful work has been performed. Given the good progress that was made, there is certainly the potential that the work carried out will contribute to the expected impacts.
During the second period of the project, good scientific and technological progress has been made. It is likely that results will be obtained regarding safe and fast screening of hazardous and illegal goods, as well as hidden persons in containers. The first milestone has been reached. The results of the project will definitely create important market opportunities. When finalized, the results of the project will be able to contribute to the development of the related European policy strategies. If Cosmic-Ray Tomography (CRT) will turn out to not only complement traditional gamma-ray and X-ray radiography, but can even be considered to completely replace the two latter ones, this may have an impact on policy-making. So the practical and actual value of CRT, which is a passive detection method to be developed in this project might result in different policies on active radiation equipment for the detection of hazardous materials.