A laser capable of accurate roadside bomb detection has been developed by a US-based research team.
The technology can precisely locate IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) of the kind historically deployed by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan and part of the investment require to progress it was supplied by the US Department of Homeland Security.
Working at Michigan State University, the researchers describe, in a study published by Applied Physics Letters, how IEDs claim close to two thirds of the deaths that occur among warfighters serving on the frontline in Afghanistan.
Traditional IED detection approaches are complicated by the difficulty factor involved in locating bombs by their chemical signature when, in Afghanistan, there are already large numbers of chemicals floating around: how do you isolate potentially hazardous material from what's already in the environment?
The laser in this system fires two different types of beams and uses the results from these to determine the type of material being analysed. The shorter pulses cause explosive molecules to vibrate, giving away their presence, while the longer pulses are used to indicate what the molecules actually are, determining their identity from the frequency of their vibrations.
According to head researcher Professor Marcos Dantus, the new laser-based IED detection system is so accurate that it can pick up one billionth of a gram of explosive material.
"The laser and the method we've developed were originally intended for microscopes, but we were able to adapt and broaden its use to demonstrate its effectiveness for standoff detection of explosives", Professor Dantus explained.
In addition to being able to perform high precision-level explosives scans, the laser can also cover a wide target area.
From here on in, the researchers are hoping to see further investment into their technology. If that occurs, it's conceivable that the laser IED detection system could see operational use in the not-too-distant future. More on this to come in future Security Technology News Items.
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