Radar Systems for Unsupervised Unobrusive Detection of On-body Concealed Weapons

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This project aims at providing an effective engineering solution to the increasing acts of armed violence in public spaces - a trend which is of great concern to security professionals and civilians alike. If terrorist or criminal agendas are the motives, prevention is difficult but possible. The acts of lone active shooters, however, are practically impossible to prevent. Our objective is to give the public and law enforcement means of protection through early warning. We will develop market-ready prototypes of compact portable (possibly wearable) radars for the stand-off detection of on-body concealed weapons such as knives, handguns, rifles, grenades and explosive vests. Our prototypes will feature automated unsupervised operation and ability to operate in diverse environments. Moreover, they will be much smaller and significantly less expensive than existing concealed weapon detection systems. The major advantage is that screening is performed while the person is moving freely. The person's cooperation or awareness of the screening is not necessary. In addition, the detection systems will have cognitive ability based on machine learning. This will ensure agile response to interference and changes in the environment along with ability to "learn" about new threats. In one application, an extra low-power prototype aims at short-range (0.5 to 3 m) detection. Deployment of multiple units in public spaces such as schools, malls, transportation nodes, and stadiums will provide around-the-clock surveillance for body-worn weapons. In a second application, a higher-power prototype will provide stand-off detection at distances as large as 15 to 20 meters. It is intended for police or security professionals either in a portable or a wearable form. The system detects threats by analyzing radar signals, not images. Thus, there are no privacy concerns. The detection outcome is a warning signal that triggers automatically user-defined responses (e.g, taking a photo of the scene or messaging security). Our devices use microwaves, which are non-ionizing and weaker than those of a mobile phone, ensuring the public safety.