Safe VISITOR: visible, infrared, and terahertz object recognition for security screening application

Abstract

Security solutions with the purpose to detect hidden objects underneath the clothing of persons are desired in many environments. With the variety of application scenarios criteria like flexibility and mobility become more important. So, many developments trend to focus on cameras, which can image scenes from a distance. This new generation of tools will have the advantage of hidden operation, which is believed by experts to add to the security because of its unpredictability. Such stand-off cameras do have some divergent requirements compared to mm-wave portal scanners. They will benefit from shorter wavelengths because of the higher optical resolution. In contrast to that, the needed transmission properties might become impractical at higher frequencies. A commonly accepted compromise is the use of wavelengths around 0.5mm. However, for stand-off cameras without oversized optical apertures, a resolution around 1cm is a practical limit. For our security camera "Safe VISITOR" (Safe VISible, Infrared and Terhaertz Object recognition) we have chosen to combine images from three different camera modules: a CCD for visible light, a microbolometer for long infrared (14μm) and a superconducting bolometer for 870μm. This combines the highest optical resolution (visible), the unprecedented temperature resolution at infrared and the almost perfect transmission at terahertz. We have built a first prototype and tested it in a field trial. We will present experimental results and try to assess the false error rate of our system.