The People Portal II (PPII) is a body scanning portal which displays a non-descript wireframe body image which accommodates even the most modest travelers, while helping security personnel locate weapons, drugs and other concealed contraband in a matter of seconds. The PPII's unique attributes have attracted interest from U.S. government agencies including the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as some foreign governments.
The PPII's technology was first implemented in a handheld scanner. This scanner came to the attention of the Federal Aviation Administration by routine "bird dogging" patent filings. "Many large organizations - private and government - have 'bird dogs' that are always seeking new ways to solve complex problems. They find them through patent searches and their network relationships," said Curt Lew, president of EMIT Technologies.
As per the agency's request, EMIT utilized the technology in the handheld device to build a full body scanning system in 2000 and called it the People Portal. The People Portal was sent to the FAA test center in Atlantic City and was later sent to the Lewiston, Idaho airport for human throughput evaluation. The company used the FAA's comments and specifications to engineer the People Portal II, the prototype of which debuted in 2004.
EMIT's unique technology has also attracted funding from the Department of Defense-sponsored Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT), due to PPII's potential usage in security applications. CCAT's San Bernardino center awarded funding to EMIT in 2004.
The non-intrusive PPII energy format has been shown to be entirely safe for humans. In fact, the low energy microwaves emitted by the system during operation are less than that of overhead fluorescent lights.
Unlike other scanning technologies (i.e., x-ray and metal detectors), PPII shows operators only the contours of objects that are neither living nor part of clothing. "Our unique dielectric process allows us to measure the electromagnetic energy movement through materials," said Lew. "This gives us the data to accurately detect and locate potential threats and eventually categorize the material make up, however, the People Portal II does not attempt to identify what those objects are."
For example, PPII can easily find a smooth non-metallic item strapped around the body of an individual trying to board a plane. It cannot tell an airport security guard whether the item is plastic explosives, a medical device or vinyl money belt, but it can show them exactly where to look in order to determine the nature of the object.
Another advantage of the PPII is that it can scan people's shoes for potential threats while they are wearing them.
While the prototype for the PPII continued to develop, so did the need for financial resources in order to keep the project on schedule. The CCAT program provided additional funding in 2006. "The CCAT funds certainly contributed to many of the processes from a financial and product development prospective," said Lew. "This added to advancing the commercializing steps and now, we're almost ready to launch the People Portal II into the market. CCAT has also been active in networking and seeking new prospects for us within the government and elsewhere."
PPII is anticipated to be ready for testing by the FAA in their labs in Atlantic City by the beginning of next year. If FAA testing is successful, this technology could be approved for trial runs in airports by the TSA and other secure facilities, such as corrections facilities, government buildings and high tech centers in the very near future.
For more information, please contact:
Julie Jensen, Technology Program Manager
Office of Technology Transfer and Commercialization
E-mail: jjensen@csusb.edu
Phone: 909-537-7772 / Fax: 909-537-7450