- Title: UNITED KINGDOM: Laser scanner could spell the end for airport liquids ban
- Date: 21st May 2014
- Summary: BRISTOL, ENGLAND, UK (MAY 14, 2014) (REUTERS) LUGGAGE TRAY GOING THROUGH CUSTOMS BOTTLE OF LIQUID SEEN ON SCAN SECURITY OFFICER PICKS UP TRAY SECURITY OFFICER PUTS LIQUID INSIDE COBALT INSIGHT100 SCANNER AND CLOSED DOOR CLOSE-UP OF LIQUID AND SCANNER NOZZLE MONITOR SCANNING DOCUMENT / SCREEN GOES RED AND 'ALARM' APPEARS ON SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEN MANN, VICE PRESIDENT OF SECURITY PRODUCTS AT COBALT LIGHT SYSTEMS LTD, SAYING: "Raman Spectroscopy has been a technique that's been around for a long time and it uses a laser to specifically identify materials. Energy is scattered and you can build up a very specific spectrum and identify individual materials. The problem has been historically that you would need line of sight to the item that you're looking at or the material you're trying to analyse. With our technique, Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy, we can go through barriers, be they plastic or glass, coloured glass, cardboard, various materials, and we can see what's inside without having to open them." SECURITY OFFICER TALKING TO KEN MANN, VICE PRESIDENT OF SECURITY PRODUCTS AT COBALT LIGHT SYSTEMS LTD (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEN MANN, VICE PRESIDENT OF SECURITY PRODUCTS AT COBALT LIGHT SYSTEMS LTD, SAYING: "After five seconds it's either an alarm or it's not. If there's an alarm then it's a red light and it tells you what the threat is. If it's not an alarm the door opens, the screen goes green, and the bottle can be returned to the passenger. In terms of what's actually happening we shine a laser at the bottle and analyse the light that's coming back, compare that with a spectrum and a library of threat materials. If it's a threat we alarm and if it's not it's not. It's very specific, so we have a very high level of detection and almost no false alarms." BOTTLE COMES IN TRAY SECURITY OFFICER SEES BOTTLE ON TRAY CLOSE-UP OF SECURITY OFFICIAL'S FINGER ON CONVEYOR BELT BUTTON OFFICER REMOVES TRAY TO SIDE FEMALE COLLEAGUE, LAUREN INGLIS, TAKES LIQUID AND PUTS IT IN SCANNER INGLIS TESTS LIQUID SCANNER SAYS 'CLEAR' / INGLIS PUTS LIQUID BACK IN BAG (SOUNDBITE) (English) LAUREN INGLIS, BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT SECURITY OFFICER, SAYING: "You just put the liquid into the machine, close the door, and then in a few seconds it will clear." SECURITY OFFICER TAKES BABY LIQUID DRINK FROM FAMILY AND PUTS IN SCANNER WOMAN HOLDING BABY AS SHE WAITS SCANNER GIVES ALL-CLEAR AND SECURITY OFFICRE RETURNS LIQUID TO FAMILY FAMILY WALK AWAY CHRIS WARE, HEAD OF SECURITY AT BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, TALKING TO SECURITY OFFICIAL (SOUNDBITE) (English) CHRIS WARE, HEAD OF SECURITY AT BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, SAYING: "Traditionally before the Cobalt Insight100 came in, passengers, particularly young families traveling through, parents were required to actually test and taste in our presence 50 percent of the liquids, the baby foods, that they were travelling through. Quite often this actually compromised the integrity of the product to the point where certain passengers wouldn't actually be able to use the product they were taking through. This process allows us to keep the product pristine, so that the mothers and the families travelling together are confident that their baby food is actually fit for process during the journey." PEOPLE QUEUEING AT SECURITY CHILD IN PUSHCHAIR DRINKING FROM BOTTLE MORE TRAVELLERS (SOUNDBITE) (English) KEN MANN, VICE PRESIDENT OF SECURITY PRODUCTS AT COBALT LIGHT SYSTEMS LTD, SAYING: "There's still a liquids ban, this is part of the approach to eventually removing the liquids ban, but what's changed here is stuff that would previously go through an x-ray machine and a passenger would actually have to test or prove it was a legitimate item is now screened by a very accurate machine and so it's a lot quicker, it's a lot less invasive for the passenger, and the results are more secure."
- Embargoed: 5th June 2014 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: United Kingdom
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Science / Technology,Travel / Tourism
- Reuters ID: LVA1AKTDUYQMA6ZYDD1FIRREIKV8
- Story Text: A table-top security scanner which can analyse liquids within five seconds, without the need for containers or bottles to be opened, has gone on trial at 65 European airports. If the trials prove successful, the Cobalt Insight100 device could help airports remove the current hand luggage liquid restrictions which have caused delays and frustration to millions of air travellers over the past eight years.
The Insight100 uses a patented technique called Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy and has put Cobalt Light Systems in line to win the prestigious annual MacRobert engineering award. It can screen liquids, aerosols and gels within any sealed non-metallic container and takes between five and eight seconds to operate.
Cobalt's vice president of security, Ken Mann, says the scanner has improved existing Raman Spectroscopy laser detection.
"Raman Spectroscopy has been a technique that's been around for a long time and it uses a laser to specifically identify materials. Energy is scattered and you can build up a very specific spectrum and identify individual materials. The problem has been historically that you would need line of sight to the item that you're looking at or the material you're trying to analyse. With our technique, Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy, we can go through barriers, be they plastic or glass, coloured glass, cardboard, various materials, and we can see what's inside without having to open them," said Mann.
Mann says false detection rates are just 0.5 percent and that the process can help speed up security checking, where individual drinks must be tested by their owners in front of security staff and toiletries are often confiscated.
"After five seconds it's either an alarm or it's not. If there's an alarm then it's a red light and it tells you what the threat is. If it's not an alarm the door opens, the screen goes green, and the bottle can be returned to the passenger. In terms of what's actually happening we shine a laser at the bottle and analyse the light that's coming back, compare that with a spectrum and a library of threat materials. If it's a threat we alarm and if it's not it's not. It's very specific, so we have a very high level of detection and almost no false alarms," he said.
The Insight100 went on trial in 65 European Union (EU) airports this January, having been approved by the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC). It can be used in conjunction with existing X-ray scanning systems or as a stand-alone screener, and Mann says it allows "unambiguous identification" from a liquid threat library.
Bristol International Airport, in the south west of England, is one of those currently trialling the machine. Security officer Lauren Inglis says it's easy to use.
"You just put the liquid into the machine, close the door, and then in a few seconds it will clear," said Inglis.
Head of Security at Bristol International Airport, Chris Ware, believes that in addition to speeding up the security process, the Insight100 is improving the travelling experience for young families, who face the hassle of having all items of baby milk or liquidised food opened by airport staff.
"Traditionally before the Cobalt Insight100 came in, passengers, particularly young families traveling through, parents were required to actually test and taste in our presence 50 percent of the liquids, the baby foods, that they were travelling through. Quite often this actually compromised the integrity of the product to the point where certain passengers wouldn't actually be able to use the product they were taking through. This process allows us to keep the product pristine, so that the mothers and the families travelling together are confident that their baby food is actually fit for process during the journey," said Ware.
Hand luggage restrictions on liquids were introduced globally in 2006 after plots to detonate liquid explosives on board at least ten airliners were uncovered. Passengers boarding planes in EU countries are currently allowed to carry within their hand luggage, liquids in containers no more than 100ml in capacity. The Insight100 system can analyse bottles up to three litres. European Commision legislation passed in 2013 requires airports to implement a phased withdrawal of restrictions on liquids, with a goal of removing them completely by January 2016. Cobalt believes the Insight100 offers all airports the technology they need to comply.
Cobalt is currently examining other methods of detection for the Insight100, including non-invasive cancer screening and detecting counterfeit goods. They're one of three British companies nominated for the Royal Academy of Engineering's MacRobert Award, the winner of which is announced on July 2. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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