Handheld Concealed Weapons Detector Development

摘要

This effort entailed the development of an enhanced, hand held, low- cost (less than $1,000 production cost), ultra-sound based Concealed Weapons Detector (CWD), which included the building of a working model for further test and evaluation. Development of inexpensive technology to enable reliable detection of metallic and non-metallic concealed weapons at a standoff distance of up to 10 meters is of great value to law enforcement and security personnel. It was designed for low power operation. The sensor utilizes focused ultrasound (40-kHz frequency) to remotely detect concealed objects from beyond arm's length out to a range of about 25 feet (8 meters). The detector emits an adjustable, audible alarm (with provision for an earphone jack) as well as a visible 5-level LED indicator when an object has been detected. A switchable aiming light allows the user to accurately determine the location of the concealed object. The system was tested on a variety of weapons and clothing types to determine the effectiveness of acoustic phenomenology for detecting weapons concealed beneath a person's clothing. The contractor delivered 20 handheld devices to AFRL for operational effectiveness.