neu-VISION™ | Baggage Scanning | Vehicle Scanning

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs or roadside bombs) are frequently the weapon of choice for terrorists. These devices are inexpensive to build and easy to hide. Trucks, vans, or even SUVs can easily transport the equivalent of several conventional 1,000-pound bombs to the doorstep of a prime target. The tragic Oklahoma City terrorist attack serves as a grim demonstration of how easy it is for an individual to manufacture, transport, and detonate an IED in a public space.

Securing our infrastructure against the threat of IEDs can only be achieved with new technology that provides superior explosives detection performance.

Applied Signal Technology, Inc. (AST) has developed an innovative, yet practical, solution to reduce threats from vehicle-borne IEDs. The neu-VISION VS is an explosives detection product designed to interrogate vehicles and cargo before they get near high-profile targets such as federal buildings, foreign embassies, or border crossing points.

The system uses neutron interrogation technology in a portal-style configuration, employing a technique called associated particle imaging (API). This non-intrusive inspection technique can “see through” heavy materials to identify the contents of each vehicle without ambiguity, and determine whether or not the vehicle is carrying explosive materials. The system is designed to detect nitrogen-based explosives with a minimum accuracy rate of >95%, and false positive rates as low as 1%.

The neu-VISION VS instantly issues an alert when threats are detected. This minimizes the need for operator interpretation, thus reducing human error. The system can also detect and identify explosive materials concealed in a cluttered environment caused by other, non-explosive materials, making it extremely difficult for terrorists to hide explosives in vehicle bodies and containers.