ADSA 05

Fusing Orthogonal Technologies for Detecting Explosives for Aviation Applications (ADSA05), 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.

The ADSA series are typically organized to deal broadly with a new topic (in order to scope out the topic) in the odd-numbered workshops, while the even-number workshops are then used to address a focused application related to that same topic. The present workshop followed this pattern by broadly addressing the topic of fusion, which is also known as Sensor Fusion or Data Fusion.

The topic of fusion was chosen for the workshop in order to support the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) objective of improving the performance of existing technologies, where performance is defined as:

• increased probability of detection,
• decreased probability of false alarms,
• lower threat mass, and
• increased number of types of explosives.

There is evidence that existing technologies will eventually be unable to satisfy DHS's requirements for improved performance unless they are fused with other technologies.

Discussion

Much of the discussion at the workshop dealt with defining the terms fusing, orthogonal and technology. Multiple definitions exist for each of the terms.

Additional topics discussed were:

• Methods of increasing the probability of detection and reducing the probability of false alarms
• Improving performance through the use of new and emerging technologies when deployed as stand-alone systems and when fused.
• Operational issues such of cost of ownership, concept of operations and risk-based screening.

A copy of the workshop report can be requested by contacting Mariah Nobrega at 617-373-3031 or via email mnobrega@coe.neu.edu