Physical Security

Undercarriage inspection device

by Mark Rowe

For as long as there have been two wheels and a place to hide something, smugglers and other actors have used vehicles as a method of passing illicit items such as weapons or explosives through checkpoints, creating a hard to solve challenge for security professionals.

Capable of carrying heavy loads of explosives, the US federal Department of Homeland Security estimates that a compact car can carry up to 500lbs of explosive materials, while a delivery truck can reach upwards of 10,000lbs, impacting an area of over 5,000 ft. Along with any additional items like bolts and nails, the body of the vehicle itself can serve as shrapnel in the attack to increase its deadly effectiveness.

Beyond their payload capacity, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) have been the weapon of choice for terrorists over the years for carrying out mass casualty attacks because they are notoriously difficult to detect before a closer inspection. Of particular concern for security teams is how to effectively inspect the vehicle’s undercarriage. Whereas the boot and interior can be viewed easily upon arrival at a checkpoint, the undercarriage is considerably more difficult to inspect thoroughly.

Legacy practices such as using mirrors or dogs to detect hidden threats have their limits in terms of reliability and showing an accurate situational picture, while manual inspections involving going under a vehicle are impractical for allowing traffic to flow through as needed. In hopes of offering an alternative method, UVeye has developed Helios, an undercarriage inspection device driven by deep learning that makes comprehensive, uncompromising security inspections possible at scale.

How

Helios utilises five hi-resolution cameras which capture images from multiple angles to make sure that no spot on the vehicle goes uninspected as it moves through the inspection in seconds. The system then uses an area patching technique to compile a complete picture of the undercarriage for analysis.

UVeye’s deep learning algorithms then process the image to detect anomalies that would otherwise go unnoticed by the human eye. False positives are minimised as the company’s artificial intelligence is able to accurately identify what the individual parts of the undercarriage look like under a wide range of different conditions like lighting, stages of wear and tear, moisture, etc.

If an anomaly is detected, the Helios system automatically alerts security teams, making it easy for them to take action, thus reducing the learning curve for use and other factors like tiredness, or stress. The user interface directs the team to the exact spot where the anomaly has been found, allowing them to quickly verify whether there is a threat.

Investigating

From a counter-terror perspective, Helios in both its stationary and highly portable mobile versions offers a viable, scalable threat mitigation platform for defending against threats in the vehicle’s undercarriage.

Along with the advantage of accurate threat detection, Helios’s inspections help security teams reduce their risk from dangerous bottlenecks at entrance points that can be targeted by terror elements. This speed advantage also means that gate inspection teams can scan every vehicle, negating the need to check at random in the interest of keeping traffic flowing.

The product is currently in use at a range of security sensitive sites globally, including seaports, government offices, police and military units, and other locations that require fast and accurate inspections.

Helios helps to strip away the terrorist’s primary advantage in using VBIEDs, namely the ability to hide in plain sight, gaining access to their target by means of deception. UVeye provides security teams with the visibility, speed, and accuracy to counter terror threats and keep their facilities secure.

Visit www.uveeye.com.

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