DHS funds target self-screening hardware subsystem for airports

San Francisco based Voxel Radar has secured a $387,415 award from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop a passenger self-screening hardware subsystem for airport checkpoints.

DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Screening at Speed Program officials indicated the allotment was awarded via the Screening at Speed Broad Agency Announcement.

Authorities noted Screening at Speed and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Innovation Task Force explored utilizing the self-screening experience.

“Future passenger self-screening automation is expected to not only keep travelers and TSOs (Transportation Security Officers) safer in pandemic situations like the one we face today, but will also improve the quality of screening from a security perspective and provide an innovative and convenient experience for airline passengers,” John Fortune, Screening at Speed Program manager, said. “Screening at Speed continues to work across our portfolio of projects to meet TSA’s short-, mid- and long-term capability needs.”

Officials said Screening at Speed seeks to develop self-screening stations at checkpoints via the Passenger Self-Screening Project — providing passengers the option to complete activities by themselves.

Voxel Radar is slated to develop a prototype for next generation millimeter wave panel sensors enabling a passenger self-screening solution.

Additionally, the prototype is to be developed to line walls or curved surfaces, per authorities, collecting data in real-time with an open architecture that enables rapid system integration and algorithm upgrades.