Sensichips’ SENSIPLUS technology aims at providing the most integrated semiconductor solution eventually enabling possible integration into consumer devices such as mobile phones. Looking at mobile phones evolution, one will notice that most senses have been gradually integrated thanks to a multitude of input/output devices and sensors, and “smell” (gas sensing) will be next: consumers and smart cities’ desire to avoid pollutants, allergens and to crowd-source the spreading of diseases or other CBRNe threats will make the need for connected portable gas sensors prevalent when the technology is miniaturized and affordable enough; until then, larger and fixed sensors will be used giving less valuable insights due to sparser deployment.
Aero Sekur and Sensichips has chosen to start with the CBRNe sensing market which is a smart first go-to-market strategy given initial pricing, size, time-to- market, regulatory environment, and production windows are far less constrained than all the other markets identified above. Sensichips have developed an original and differentiated way to deploy the sensors with smart cables, optimized for installation into infrastructures, airplanes, or for temporary constructions at large crowd gatherings for example. Multisensors cables can reach lengths of up to 200 meters without a repeater and power consumption of the entire operating cable is very low. Sensichips has moreover secured its partnership with an integrator such as Aero Sekur to address the homeland security market. The demonstration of functionality of the smart cable shows ingenuity of the system, and the timing of the CBRNe sensing market - given unfortunate recent terrorist events and threats - is favorable to the proposed new product application.
W.r.t. the expected potential impact, according to European Directive 114/08, Critical Infrastructure (CI) refers to those assets, systems or part thereof located in the EU Member States which are essential for the maintenance of vital societal functions, health, safety, security, economic or destruction of which would have a significant impact to a Member State as a result, of the failure to maintain those functions. In the same way, Directive defines the European Critical Infrastructure, every critical infrastructure located in the EU Member States the disruption or destruction of which would have a significant impact on at least two Member States of the EU. Each sector could be exposed to a malicious use of hazardous materials that could threaten health and security of citizen and society. For this reason, it is fundamental to monitor and survey every critical asset to mitigate CBRNe risk. A continuous surveillance requires security systems and devices that are not invasive and that do not affect the normal execution of any activities and process. Then, it could be proper to survey any chemical contamination of public places such as undergrounds, ports, airports, cinemas, theaters, stations, schools, etc. In the same way, to have a versatile device (such as a sensorized smart cable) could be a no invasive way to control access points during mass gatherings, checkpoints at train stations, airports and ports but also into undergrounds. We have considered that buildings such as airports, ports, hotels, government offices, police stations etc. are seen by the terrorist as high value soft targets. The terrorist knows that because of the nature of these buildings and their usage, it is not possible to make them totally secure, so they are always at risk. Then, the challenge is not to eliminate risk but to manage it. That is, to allow the lawful movement of people, vehicles, goods and services, whilst reducing the risk of the terrorist using that same freedom to mount some form of attack.
