Objective
Terrorism has become the most prominent security issue of the 21st century and fighting terrorism is a top priority. Our society has been the target of a series of deadly terror attacks in recent years. A total of 11,072 terrorist attacks occurred worldwide in 2016, resulting in more than 25,600 total deaths and more than 33,800 people injured. Explosives were used in 54% of the attacks. Explosives or bombs can be made easily at home and hidden simply in a suit or under clothes, making it impossible to notice without specialised equipment. Existing solutions such as X-ray machines, security scanners and body search, are not capable of detecting explosives as such: they merely detect objects which might be explosives. In addition, they often require the direct involvement of security staff, resulting in time-consuming procedures. Therefore, even simple bag or body screening can significantly increase the waiting time and crowd.
The Eye on Air solution is a fast non-intrusive screening system for detecting explosive materials in public areas. The key innovation lies in an ultra-compact Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) sensor, capable of detecting any kind of explosives as required by the European Civilian Aviation Conference (ECAC) within 2-5 seconds. The first application of the IMS technology will be AirBrush, a shoe-specific explosive vapour detection system for airports. AirBrush is the first effective shoe-specific explosive detection system, enabling seamless and quick screening of 100% passengers while significantly cutting waiting time in line and operational costs for security.
The overall objective of AirBrush innovation project is to optimize the AirBrush design and validate its performance through pilot test with NCTV at Schiphol Airport (one of the largest airport in Europe) in order to obtain relevant certification and credibility.
Fields of science
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-2 - SME instrument phase 2Coordinator
7521 AN ENSCHEDE
Netherlands
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.