Strategic Studies

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has requirements for future scanners that include a larger number of threat categories, higher probability of detection per category, lower false alarm rates and lower operating costs. One tactic that DHS is pursuing to achieve these requirements is to create an environment where the capabilities of the traditional vendors of security systems could be augmented by the development of algorithms by third parties. Examples of third parties include academics, national laboratories and companies other than the traditional vendors.

DHS is particularly interested in following the model used by the medical imaging industry, in which university researchers have developed numerous algorithms that have eventually been deployed in commercial medical imaging equipment.

A method that the DHS is using to stimulate academic and industrial third party algorithm development is to hold workshops addressing the research opportunities that may enable the development of next generation algorithms for Homeland Security applications.

Workshops

Algorithm Development for Security Applications (ADSA): Application to Advanced Imaging Technology

• ADSA 01 : The first ADSA workshop, ADSA01, took place on April 23-24, 2009. The focus of the workshop was the development of new algorithms for detecting explosives at an integrated checkpoint. Industry/practioner, government and national lab participants were: Analogic, GE Security, Guardian Technologies, American Science and Engineering, L-3 Communications, Rapiscan, Reveal Imaging, Siemens Corporate Research, Smiths Detection, Department of Homeland Security, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the Transportation Security Administration.
• ADSA 02 : The second ADSA workshop, ADSA02, was held on October 7-8, 2009. Industry/practitioner, government and national lab participants were: Optosecurity, Reveal Imaging, Telesecurity Sciences, L-3 Communications, Optosecurity, Surescan, Analogic, GE Security, Mercury Computers, Guardian Technologies, Siemens Corporate Research. Department of Homeland Security, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Transportation Safety Administration and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.
• ADSA 03 : This is a workshop on advanced algorithm development for Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT), the DHS standard name for Whole Body Imaging (WBI) Technology. The primary objective of the workshop is to find ways to involve third parties in the development of both near-term and revolutionary improvements to existing AIT equipment. Algorithms developed by the third parties would be designed to augment the capabilities and capacities of the existing vendors of AIT equipment.
• ADSA 04 : A fourth ADSA workshop was held at NU on October 5-6, 2010, under the direction of Professor Michael Silevitch, Harry Martz (LLNL) and Carl Crawford (DHS S&T). The purpose of the fourth workshop was to discuss how third parties could participate in the development of reconstruction algorithms for explosive detection equipment based on CT scanning.
• ADSA 05 : Fusing Orthogonal Technologies for Detecting Explosives for Aviation Applications, was held at Northeastern University in Boston on May 3-4, 2011. This workshop was the fifth in a series dealing with Algorithm Development for Security Applications.
• ADSA 06 : The ADSA 06 workshop took place at Northeastern University in Boston on November 8-9, 2011. This workshop addressed the generalities of fusing systems with specific application to Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT).

Reports

Copies of these reports can be requested by contacting Mariah Nobrega at 617-373-3031 or via email mnobrega@coe.neu.edu.