NOVEMBER 30--InVision Technologies Inc. (Newark, CA; www.invision-tech.com) announced that the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) purchased several i-Portal 100 imaging detection systems for concealed weapons for installation at undisclosed locations throughout the country from the company's wholly owned subsidiary Quantum Magnetics Inc. (www.qm.com). This purchase, in addition to recent orders of portal hardware from Milestone Technology Inc., an Idaho-based technology-development company, total $445,300 in sales for newly commercialized weapons-detection systems.
The i-Portal 100 system was recently awarded the 2001 Aviation Security International Award of Excellence in the Aviation Security Technology category at AVSEC World 2001 in Atlanta, GA. The weapons-detection system displays threats, such as guns and knives, as colored dots superimposed on a digital image of each traveler passing through the system's sensors. The precise location or locations of weapons on passengers are displayed on a computer screen, which allows for rapid secondary inspection of passengers. Independent tests estimated that use of the i-Portal 100 system decreases the time required to scan passengers during secondary screenings by up to 50% and increases the accuracy and thoroughness of follow-on searches. The system also stores each person's image (showing possible alarms), which could enable authorities to review passenger screenings at a later time.
The i-Portal 100 uses SecureScan 2000 software, developed by the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) with National Institute of Justice funding and licensed from Milestone Technology Inc. Quantum developed the sensors for INEEL; they are also used in a portal designed for entry-point screening for public buildings that is sold by Milestone Technology.
