Assessment of Electromagnetic and Passive Diffuse Infrared Sensors in Detection of IED-Related Behavior; Conference paper

摘要

Persistent wireless sensor networks can be a cost-effective way to monitor public areas for suspicious behavior and reduce the need for military patrols. We examine here their applicability to the difficult problem of detecting emplacement of improvised explosive devices (IEDs). We first discuss the threat and how wireless sensor networks could help fight it; flexible and adaptable management of the sensor network is essential. We then report some experiments with magnetic and infrared sensors from Crossbow Technologies. We built a network of these sensors and ran human subjects through it engaged in various activities, some involving carrying of ferromagnetic materials. Results indicated that a variety of suspicious activities could be detected, though not all mock IEDs triggered detection, and triangulation was difficult due to the tendency of the signal to quickly saturate. Our network design is such that data can be easily aggregated in larger networks for broad-area automated monitoring of settings such as airports and busy urban areas.