Brenda Marie Rivers
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has developed a software package that simulates the Transportation Security Administration’s passenger scanning systems to potentially inform the development of future detection platforms.
APL said Monday the Shooting and Bouncing Ray system uses 360-degree reconstruction elements to model the TSA’s Advanced Imaging Technology platforms that utilize radio frequencies to scan passengers at airports.
SABR uses physical optics and rapid electromagnetic modeling to predict passengers’ RF signatures and works with APL’s virtual AIT model to generate synthetic versions of human travelers passing through scanning platforms.
APL envisions SABR to help sponsors such as the departments of Defense and Homeland Security in developing detection algorithms based on machine learning.
In addition to TSA body scanner development, APL expects SABR to support other applications such as air and ground vehicle operations, weapons development and flight test modeling.
